Tyler
by gotgoats
Summary: This story is father/son for Gibbs and Tony. In it, I introduce a new character, Tyler. Be warned, this story deals with intersexuality, transgenderism, homosexuality, and platonic love. This story is NOT graphic and most likely won't ever be. Yes, there are discussions, but there is NO graphic sex, and there won't be. It's rated M for safety, mostly due to the topics.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS, make no money from it, and don't own any of the characters except for the ones I dream up. In this case, it's a young man named Tyler. I can take credit for him.

Author's Note: Thanks to my rock, Headbanger Rockstar, and my other rock, Binkeybella. Thanks for keeping me going, ladies!

Another Author's Note: Ok, this story is sort of slash, but it's NOT slash between Gibbs and Tony. This story is father/son for Gibbs/Tony, and the introduced character isn't really gay, but that's explained in the story. The other thing is that this story deals with mosaic genotypes, specifically the mosaic genotypes that result in being intersexed. If this offends, then don't read.

I've created a universe in which DADT never existed, and gay marriage isn't really common, but is accepted. So I know that the timeframe for this story is still in the DADT timeframe, but I'm choosing to ignore that. Just so you don't get confused on that point.

############

"Gear up!" Gibbs breezed past the bullpen on his way to the elevator. He stopped long enough for the doors to open, and entered, not even wondering if his team was moving. He knew they were. Moments later, the Fab Four of NCIS were headed to the lower levels, where they'd gas up and go.

"Where to, Boss?" Tony slurped noisily on his coffee.

"Silver Springs. Dead mid-shipman." That was the extent of the conversation until they reached the crime-scene.

"Tony, witnesses, Kate, pictures, McGee, sketches," he shot the younger man a sharp look. "And make sure they're right this time."

"Yes, Boss."

Gibbs stepped under the yellow tape that sealed the house off from the rest of the world.

"Tony, wanna switch?" McGee looked slightly green.

"Nope." DiNozzo patted Tim's shoulder. "You don't have a headache this time. You'll get the dimensions right this time. I have faith." With a click of his tongue, Tony headed over to the bedraggled group of backyard bar-b-cue guests that were standing with officers in the corner of the yard.

"Kate?"

"McGee, Tony is right. Your head isn't killing you like it was last time. You can do this. Besides, I don't want to get Gibbs any angrier this morning. Someone's pissed in his Wheaties already."

"Not quite how I'd say it, but fine." Feeling resigned to a fate worse than death, McGee scooted under the tape and went to work.

In the dining room, Gibbs sat talking with a young man. Tyler Stevens was sobbing out his statement as Gibbs fought the urge to tell him to man up and just talk. The only thing that kept him from saying what was on his mind was the fact that he wasn't interested in more sensitivity training.

"I don't know what happened." Tyler wrapped his arms around himself. "I just don't know. There was a shot, and I don't know where from. Charlie…" He broke down in sobs once more.

"You and Charlie are good friends?" Tyler shook his head. "Roommates?" Another head shake as Tyler tried to calm himself.

"We just got married." He wiped his eyes. "His ship docked the day before yesterday, and he was able to come home last night. We went to the courthouse today."

"So this was your…"

"Our reception, yes." Tyler nodded.

"I'm sorry for your loss, especially today." Gibbs asked a few more questions, and was preparing to leave when more shots rang out, and he threw Tyler to the floor, protecting the younger man with his body.

A total of three rounds were fired, and then suddenly stopped. Tony came running in, his eyes wide.

"Shooter was aiming for the house, Gibbs. Not even trying to get anyone in the yard. You guys ok?"

"We're ok." Gibbs stood, helping Tyler to his feet. "Need to get him to NCIS and under protective custody."

"On it, Boss."

Tony got Tyler into the sedan and peeled away, carrying the traumatized newlywed-already widowed man to safety. They rode in silence for a while. Silence, that is, except for the occasional sniffle from Tyler.

"We're gonna find who's done this." Tony's voice was like iron, and Tyler nodded. "I'm really sorry that you have to go through this. Losing a good friend…"

"He wasn't just my friend, Agent…"

"DiNozzo. Tony DiNozzo. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself back there."

"That's ok. And he wasn't just my friend, Agent DiNozzo." Tyler began to cry softly again. "We got married earlier this morning."

Tony's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He didn't have a problem with homosexuals, but it would have been nice to know all of that before. He hated stepping into it with people.

They pulled into the shipyard, and Tony parked the car, his mind still running crazily. He wondered how he could make it up to the broken-hearted young man beside him. There was such a difference between friends and lovers, and an even bigger one between lovers and spouses.

"Come on, Tyler." Tony put his hand to Tyler's elbow. "Let's get you inside."

They passed through security, and went up to the bullpen. Tyler sat down at Tim's desk, where Tony had pointed as he set his back-pack down.

"Tell me what you need, Tyler. You want a drink, a snack, do you need somewhere to have a good cry?"

"I, um, I need to use the restroom."

"Sure, follow me." Tony led him to the restrooms. The younger man barely made it into a stall, and didn't even get the door closed before he began to heave.

Tony stepped back, letting his charge as much privacy as he could in the public bathroom. As he waited, he wondered what else he could do to help the younger man. He was used to grieving widows. Dealing with a man who had lost his husband only that morning was an entirely new experience. With a shake of his head, he realized he wasn't even sure how he'd want to be treated.

Tyler finished heaving, and turned, face pale, and hands shaking. He drew in a shuddery breath before seeming to shut down. He closed the door on the stall, and Tony heard a quiet groan. When Tyler emerged from the stall moments later, Tony approached him.

"Hey, you ok?" Tony raised a hand, intending to put it on Tyler's shoulder, but he put his hand down when the young man flinched hard. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm ok." Tony's eyes narrowed at the breathy, shaky voice coming from Tyler. He was in shock. Tony was sure of it.

Tony pulled out his phone and dialed the elderly ME. He listed off Tyler's "symptoms", and was assured that he could bring the younger man down in a moment.

"I just got back, Anthony. Let me have time to put Mr. Boggs into his room for the moment, and I'll be ready to check out his friend."

"His husband, Ducky, Tyler's his husband."

"Oh, dear. Thank you, Anthony, for informing me."

Tony led Tyler to the elevator, and they rode to the basement.

"Want me to come in with you?" Tyler shook his head, but then nodded.

"Um, I'd like to not be alone, and you've been nice. But, I, well, I have a problem."

"What's that?" Tony cocked his head. This poor kid was working himself up even more.

"I'll tell you and the doctor at the same time, ok?" Tony simply nodded as he showed Tyler through the autopsy door after a quick check to be sure that the tables were indeed all clear.

"Welcome, young man." Ducky smiled warmly, and motioned toward one of the empty tables. "Climb up here for me, please, and if you'd be so kind as to remove your shirt." Tyler paled.

Ducky took in his paled countenance, and shot Tony a quick look. The agent shrugged. He had no clue, but something was wrong.

"How can we help you, Tyler?" Ducky spoke softly. "Are you hurt?"

"No." He swallowed hard. "Um, I have to tell you..." Ducky nodded his encouragement. "I'm inter-sexed." His head dipped in embarrassment. "I'll take off my shirt, but I've got breasts. I keep them bound." Tony's eyes widened as he listened.

"I've heard of this before." Ducky kept his voice soft. "May I ask how I can make you more comfortable?" Tyler mumbled a response, and Ducky leaned closer. "I'm sorry, Tyler, I missed that."

"I started my cycle, and I don't have anything with me."

"Well, then." Tony stepped around, smiling his megawatt smile. "We can't let that problem go on, can we?" He took out his pocket notebook. "What do you need? I'll make a candy run."

"Candy run?"

"Yep. That's what my girlfriend always called it." Tyler smiled slightly. He listed off his underwear size and what brand of napkins he usually used. Tony wrote it all down and was gone from autopsy in a flash.

Once Tony was gone, Ducky turned back to his young charge.

"I'm told that you were married only this morning. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." Tyler sniffled, running his hands over his face. "I can't believe he's gone." His voice broke. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"If only I had answers." Ducky rubbed his hand gently over Tyler's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but the only advice I have is to continue to breathe, moment by moment."

"That's just it." Tyler sobbed openly. "He's the only one who ever got me. Even as kids, he was my only real friend."

"I'm sure he wasn't your only friend."

"Yeah." Tyler nodded. "He was. When I was in school, I got beat up if I used the girls bathroom, and I got beat up if I used the boy's bathroom." He shrugged. "It's not my fault that I was born with two sets of genes."

"I'm often reminded of various cases, but I'm afraid I'm without any stories to distract you with."

"That's ok." Tyler shrugged. "Guess I feel like talking."

"Certainly, my boy."

"Charlie was there for me. Every time I got beat up at school, or by my parents, Charlie was there. He gets me, you know." Tears sprang into his eyes once more. "And now, he's gone."

Ducky managed to talk Tyler into letting him give him a full exam. He phoned Gibbs to let the lead agent know where the younger man was, and asked Gibbs to call Tony. Tyler mentally rolled his eyes at that comment. It was all starting again. Once everyone knew, he'd be the laughing stock of the building. It's how it always went.

As Ducky checked his young guest, Gibbs was calling Tony, demanding answers.

"Why aren't you with him? Protection detail, or doesn't it matter, cuz he's not in a skirt?"

"Well, you see, Boss, that's kinda the thing." Tony slapped himself in the back of his head. Tyler didn't need his issues being aired with sarcasm. "Sorry, Boss, just head-slapped myself. Anyway, Tyler's got a physical condition, and he's with Ducky. He's safe. He'll be there until you or I get him."

"Physical condition? What the hell are you talking about? He get hurt?"

"No, Boss." Tony drew in a deep breath. Wow, this was weird. "He, um, he's intersexed, Gibbs. He started his period."

"What?"

"He's intersexed, and he started his cycle. I'm at the store getting some things for him." The phone clicked off in his ear, and Tony winced, hoping he'd not blown it.

Looking back at the shelves before him, Tony shook his head.

"I can find a serial killer using a speck of dust, but I can't figure out what overnight with wings means." He looked back down at the paper in his hand and did the only thing he could think of. He snagged one of the ladies walking down the aisle.

"Excuse me." He used his best smile. "I'm picking up some things for my girlfriend, and I'm kinda lost."

"Well, at least you're in the right aisle." The woman smiled and took the list from him, quickly gathering the desired napkins and cleanliness supplies. "There ya go."

"Thanks so much." Tony breathed a sigh of relief as he fairly raced toward the check out. Just being down that aisle had given him the willies.

Fifteen minutes later, he was passing the needed items off to Tyler, who took them and headed for the restroom at a near-run. Ducky nodded approvingly to the younger agent, who left almost immediately for the bullpen. He was stopped in the elevator by his boss.

"Sit-rep."

"As you know, Tyler and Charlie got married early this morning." Gibbs nodded. "Tyler doesn't know who would want to hurt either of them. He's not naïve, but he's not really what I'd call worldly, either. He's been pretty protected by Charlie, who was his best friend, and then boyfriend. They've been together since childhood."

"I got the same story from Charlie's parents. They're on their way out." Gibbs ran his hands down his face. "They said that Charlie's not gay, but he's just married Tyler. So how does that follow?"

"No clue, Boss. Guess that's something we'll have to ask Tyler."

"How's he holding up?"

"He's in shock." Tony hung his head for a moment. "He's certainly _not_ in on whatever happened, Boss. He's just…"

"The grief-stricken spouse that we'd expect."

"Yep, and it's not a put on. He got all shocky at one point, which is why we ended up down at Ducky's."

"And the period?"

"He didn't discover that little tidbit until he'd gone to the bathroom. He got sick to his stomach, and then needed to use the toilet. Discovered it then." With a nod, Gibbs restarted the elevator.

###########

Four hours later, the elevators opened to a middle-aged couple who strode quickly toward Tyler. The woman's arms were outstretched, and the young man went to her immediately. He accepted the hug she offered, not even acting surprised when the woman's husband stood off to the side looking uncomfortable. He obviously knew them well.

"His parents?" Gibbs looked to Kate.

"Not unless they've had a change of heart. I called them, and got hung up on. I'm guessing those are Charlie's."

"Oh, Ty." The woman stroked down Tyler's hair as he began to weep. "It's ok, Baby, we're here." The young man's legs nearly gave out, and Mrs. Boggs motioned for her husband to help Tyler to a chair. The man rolled his eyes and did as he was asked.

"Where are your parents, Tyler? Are they on their way?" His voice was gentle, and yet had an edge to it that Gibbs paid close attention to. Why had Tyler's father hung up on Kate? And what was Mr. Bogg's problem?

"N-no." He drew in a shaky breath. "He told me when I moved out that he never wanted to see me again. I guess he meant it."

"Bastard." Mrs. Boggs eyes narrowed. "Have you been alone all this time?"

"N-no." Tyler looked up to the team. "They've been here. Kept me safe, when…" He broke down into sobs again.

"Let's move this to a more private location, ok?" Gibbs stood up, motioning toward the conference rooms. The sobbing young man was drawing attention, and that's not something that he needed. He needed quiet and a chance to mourn.

"Come on." Mr. Boggs stood, pulling Tyler up with him. He helped the younger man walk, looking embarrassed and disgusted the entire time. Mrs. Boggs walked on the other side, holding tightly to Tyler's hand. Gibbs wondered what caused the difference in how the couple viewed the young man.

Once they were in the room, Tony turned to the older couple, nodding to Kate, who poured everyone a glass of water before sitting down with her notepad ready. Out in the bullpen, Gibbs ordered everyone back to work. He asked Tim what the status of his check into the emails was, and then settled down to dig into the couple's financials.

While Tony and Kate drew out the facts regarding the elopement of Charles Boggs and Tyler Stevens, their impromptu "reception" and why the Boggs hadn't attended, Gibbs and Tim were digging into Tyler's father's record.

"How long ago was his last domestic abuse charge, McGee?" Gibbs asked as he poured over the man's financials.

"He was arrested four weeks ago. This time it was for hitting his wife. Guess he forgot they were in public." The sarcasm dripped from McGee's voice.

"That's the problem with getting used to hitting people, McGee, you start doing it at all the wrong times." Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he looked at a large withdraw from the Steven's bank account only five days ago. Could be for a lawyer, or it could be for something worse. Either way, he wanted to know _exactly_ what that $85,000 was used for.

##########

"Ok, so your son and Mr. Stevens," here Kate nodded to Tyler, "called you to tell you of their plans to marry in the morning, and you chose to come out this afternoon, leaving them time to celebrate with their friends."

"Yes." Jeff's voice was firm. "We've answered these questions twice now. They called, we were very happy for them, and they asked us to come for the weekend. We couldn't come right away, as I had business to attend to." Sharon stiffened as he mentioned his business, and Tony made a note to check into what the problem could be. The agent then looked up from his notepad and smiled to Tyler and Sharon.

"You guys seem pretty close?"

"Yes." Tyler nodded. "Charlie and I were best friends in school, and I was at their house all the time. They're more like my parents than my own parents are."

"And you guys didn't have a problem with Charlie deciding to date a man? Coming out of the closet, so to speak?"

"Why would it be a problem?" Sharon leveled her gaze at Kate, seemingly confused by the question. "Tyler's wonderful. Yes, he's a man, but he's also a woman." She shrugged. "We've known Tyler since he was…" She stopped and looked at her son-in-law. "Would you rather be here, or should Agent Todd and I step out for a minute?"

"Either way." However, even as he answered, he subconsciously shrank back into his seat, shooting a nervous glance to Jeff, who was basically looking anywhere but his son-in-law.

"Ok, we'll stay here, then." With that, she looked back to Kate. "He and Charlie were in the same class, and they became good friends in the first grade."

"And when did you first meet him?"

"The first time he slept over. It was Charlie's 7th birthday." Sharon smiled. "We told him he could choose one friend to go to dinner, have a sleep over, and go roller-skating." Her face darkened. "His mom called to "warn" me about her son."

"What did she have to say?"

"She told me that he wasn't quite right. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I said that we could deal with whatever handicap he may have." Tyler's face turned red as she spoke.

"And how did she react to that?"

"She proceeded to go on about how he may look normal, but he wasn't the same as other boys. She seemed, and I think still is, confused and in denial about his intersexuality."

"And you don't have a problem with it?"

"No." Sharon's gaze became hard, as if she'd been fighting for Tyler his entire life. Jeff sat in stony silence, making Tony all the more curious about the man. "He was born this way. He is equal parts male and female. His entire life, he's struggled to fit in, and he and my son found happiness with one another."

"Yet you say Charlie wasn't homosexual?"

"No, I don't think he was." Sharon shook her head. "Charlie watched Tyler try to find his way through the teen years, and we tried to help as much as possible. Yes, he finally decided that he was more comfortable with being seen as a gay man rather than a masculine woman, but that had more to do with not being ridiculed in private settings than anything else."

"What do you mean by that?" Tony's curiosity was piqued. He'd never considered that before. Tyler's head snapped up.

"Have you ever forgotten to sit because you have to pee so badly? Well, if you were me, and you did, it'd end up with some guy beating me up when I left the bathroom and his girlfriend complained."

"Why not have surgery?" This question was from Kate. There was the thought churning in the back of her mind that this could be a hate crime. She hoped not. To kill two people simply for their life choices seemed a bit extreme for anyone, even if they were crazed by hate.

"Why should I have to change myself to make anyone else happy?"

"You mean why shouldn't you do something to fit in?" Jeff glared at the younger man. Sharon shot him a withering glance, and Tony figured he had his answer.

##########

"I want that bastard in interrogation." Gibbs stood, grabbing his badge and gun. He looked to McGee. "Well? You coming?" McGee was hot on his heels within seconds.

As Gibbs sped down the highway to Marvin Steven's house, Kate and Tony were leading the Boggs down to autopsy. Kate had asked if they wanted to see Charlie, and with teary eyes, both parents had nodded. Even now, Sharon kept Tyler close, bringing him with them.

"You want a minute?" Tyler pulled his arm from Sharon's. "I can wait out here a bit."

The woman looked torn for a minute, but finally nodded. She tugged Tyler to her in a tight hug and kissed his cheek. Jeff patted his shoulder as if knowing he needed to do something, and followed his wife through the doors that Kate led them through.

The doors sealed, and Tyler drew in a gasping breath as he watched Charlie's body pulled gently from the cooler he was stored in. He watched as Sharon brushed her hand across his cheek, and stifled a sob when she bent to kiss his forehead. Jeff stood back a pace, his face pale, tears rolling freely down his face.

"It's my fault." Tyler fairly whimpered out the words. "I should have…"

"Should have what?" Tony wasn't sure what the kid was going to admit to, but according to the text from Tim, he was squeaky clean.

"Should have broken up with him. My dad, he hated us. Maybe, I should have…" His words were lost in a fresh bout of tears as Sharon motioned to him, silently asking him to join them.

############

Gibbs rang the doorbell, and waited for a moment. He could hear the television, but no one came to the door. He rang the bell again, and waited. Another moment passed, and he pounded on the door.

"What?" A man who reeked of alcohol opened the door. "I didn't answer the door for a reason, asshole."

Before Gibbs could reach out and slam the man into a wall, Tim stepped up, and introduced them.

"Mr. Stevens, I'm Agent McGee, and this is Agent Gibbs. We're here to talk to you about your son, Tyler, and his husband, Charles Boggs."

"They got married?" Stevens snorted. "Figures the fag would do that."

"Sir, your son isn't homosexual, but that's a topic for another moment."

"Like hell he's not!" Marvin looked over to his wife, who came into the room, a newly blackened eye clearly visible. "He's got a man's name, he's got the parts for a man, and yet what does he do? He takes it like a woman!" He scowled at his wife. "It's her fault. You wanna talk about the bastard, talk to her."

"Actually, Mr. Stevens, we're here because you made a large withdraw from your savings account a few days ago, and due to the murder of your son-in-law and the attempted murder of your son, we're here to discuss that."

Marjorie Stevens gasped when McGee was speaking, and Marvin turned on her. The bottle that had been in his hand flew towards her head, and she ducked, barely getting out of the way in time.

"Bitch! Go back to the kitchen." Gibbs had enough.

"Marvin Stevens, you are under arrest for spousal abuse." Gibbs stepped forward, and Marvin threw a wild punch. His fist glanced off of Gibbs' cheek, hitting hard enough to merely leave a bruise and piss off the MCRT leader. McGee stood back, knowing it was better to let his boss take the man down than it was to try to stop him. He doubted the silver-haired man would need any help.

"Let's add resisting arrest, assault of a federal officer, and," Gibbs looked up at McGee, his eyes flashing with anger. "What else can we get him on?"

"Well, Boss, he's shouting threats, so we can hold him for threatening murder, and we can press charges for any damages he does to the car on the way back, if he doesn't settle down. Oh, yeah," McGee ticked things off on his fingers as he spoke, "assault and battery, which is different from the spousal abuse, and we can hold him on attempted murder, and let's not forget that outstanding warrant he has in Virginia. Something about a speeding ticket, wasn't it? Some bench warrant?"

"Fuck you!"

"No, thanks." Gibbs hauled Marvin to his feet. "You're not my type."

As Gibbs got Mr. Stevens situated in the car, McGee gave the shouting woman instructions to not leave town. When she asked if she could visit her son, he nearly laughed, but stopped himself.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we're investigating your husband, with possible links to the death of your son-in-law and the attempted murder of your son. I don't think visiting him is a good move for you right now." He handed her a card with his number on it, in case she thought of anything that may clear her husband's name, and followed Gibbs to the car.

#######

Sharon and Jeff asked if Tyler was free to go, as they wanted to head back to their hotel.

"I'm sorry, but he's under protection detail. He's got to stay…"

"Protection?" Sharon's face paled. "You mean…"

"Whoever it was shot at the house again, Mom." Tyler sounded resigned. "Tried to shoot me after the cops got there."

"Oh, my God." She pulled Tyler into another hug. "Thank God we didn't lose you both."

"I'm sorry it wasn't me." Tyler began to cry again, his fresh tears coming in shorter supply than they had been earlier. "I'd give anything for him to be here still."

"Yeah." Jeff put his arm around Tyler's shoulder. "What's done is done." Tyler backed away, knowing exactly what the older man meant. The blame of "it wasn't you" was never spoken, but the hurt and anger flooded the air.

"I'm sorry." Sharon glared at her husband before reaching for Tyler, cupping his face in her hands.

"My son loved you, Tyler, and we still love you. That's not changed, and it won't. You're ours, got it?" The heartbroken woman wiped the tears from her son's cheeks with her thumbs. "I don't care if you're my son or daughter in law. And I don't care what anyone says. You're my kid. Now be safe, and call if you need us, ok?" Tyler nodded.

Sharon looked at Jeff, and he sighed. With a huff, he pulled out his wallet. "Here's my visa. My pin is Charlie's…" His voice broke. "It's Charlie's birthday. If you need it, use it." With that, the man turned and strode to the elevator. He needed time.

Once the Boggs' were gone, Tyler turned to Tony. The agent noticed the lines of stress around the younger man's eyes and was going to offer lunch, but Tyler asked for quiet.

"Is there somewhere that I can go? Somewhere that I can just have some time?"

###########

Two hours later, Tony walked into Abby's lab, where she worked in silence, owing to her sleeping companion. Gibbs had been in twice, and had both times used sign, and had gotten somewhat satisfactory answers regarding the bullet used. He wanted more, and she just didn't have it yet.

"How's our guest?"

"Still sleeping." Abby frowned. "He's had a few nightmares, Tony. Not ones because of today, but he's begged to not be hit, and he's so scared. I've had to shake him a couple of times."

"Has he woken up at all when you've shaken him?"

"No, but he settles down for a few minutes."

"Poor guy. I need to check out his father in law, but the guy seems to hate him as much as his dad does." Tony held up the sub he'd carried down with him. "Half for you, and half for him. I figured that a double-meat roast beef sub would be perfect for dinner."

"Awesome!" She pulled her gloves off, and accepted her separately-wrapped half. "I knew there was a reason we kept you around."

"Yeah, cuz I'm cute." He winked to his friend and walked across the lab, calling out to Tyler as he went.

"Hey, Tyler, need you to wake up! Got some dinner here for you." Tyler sat up and rubbed sleepily at his eyes, seeming to be still half-asleep. "Eat up, and then we're going back to Ducky's. Gibbs wants to be sure you're not in shock, or having any after effects before he takes you home."

"_I'd like to speak with him before you leave, Jethro." Ducky stood holding the liver of a john-doe that had been found on the local bay, too close to one of the docked destroyers for comfort. "He was in a fairly bad state when he was here earlier."_

"_Well, yeah, Duck. He got married and widowed all in one day."_

"_It's more than that, I'm afraid." Ducky sighed. "He feels responsible for his husbands' death, and is terrified of living without him. That much has been made plain. I must insist that you keep an extra watch on him. He's, well, I'm not sure that he's suicidal at the moment, but I don't think it would take much to bring him to that point."_

Gibbs pulled Tony out into the hall once he'd delivered Tyler.

"Need you at my place tonight, Tony. He's not in a good place mentally, and I don't want him hurting himself if one of us sleeps."

"You got it, Boss." Tony nodded quickly. "I'll grab my go-bag."

##########

Gibbs was in his basement sanding while the television rambled on with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He was sure they were on the second or third movie of the night, but he'd not really been paying attention. Hopefully, Tyler'd fall asleep soon. The kid was a bundle of nerves.

Gibbs wasn't surprised at his nervousness and fear after talking with his father earlier that afternoon. The jerk was a one-man hate fest.

"_So what's the deal with pulling $85,000 out of your savings account? Odd timing, wouldn't you say?"_

"_It's none of your business."_

"_Actually, since this is a murder investigation, it is."_

"_I plead the fifth."_

"_Too late for that. You already spoke regarding some of the charges, so you can't plead the Fifth Amendment." Gibbs wasn't sure whether the guy was too stubborn or too stupid to lawyer up, but he was going to take whatever he could before this ass said those magic words. _

"_I gamble, ok? That's how I got that much in the first place."_

"_Fine. Name your bookie."_

"_No way! I already owe him! If I roll on him, he's gonna…"_

_Gibbs slammed his hand down on the table. Marvin jerked in surprise._

"_Let me remind you, Mr. Stevens, that your son was shot at, and that his life-partner, whom he married only this morning, was killed. If you don't want to be charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and a good dose of hate-crime heaped on top, I suggest you start talking. I don't have to sit here. I can simply start looking for a way to tie you to this murder." _

"_You can't do that!"_

"_No? Watch me." Gibbs stood, but Marvin called him back, panicking._

Gibbs sanded, letting his mind contemplate everything they'd learned so far. Gambling debts were out in the open, but there was something else. What, Gibbs couldn't put his finger on, and Marvin hadn't come clean yet. He hoped McGee and Kate were having better luck with their searches.

He heard the theme song for another movie start up seconds before his phone rang. He swore and tossed down his sanding block. He hated days like this. _McGee._

"Boss, we just got a call from the LEO's in Virginia, and Marjorie Stevens was shot a few minutes ago."

"What the hell?"

"Don't know the details, but it seems she was shot while getting the mail. Neighbors saw her go down, heard the shot, but have no idea where it came from. LEO's searched the house and found drugs." Tim cleared his throat. "They've so far counted 85 kilos of heroine so far, and are still searching."

"That son of a bitch."

"Want me to get him into interrogation again?"

"Yep. Be there in 10." Gibbs snapped his phone shut on his way up the stairs.

###########

Tyler stood next to Tony, his hands jammed hard into his jeans pockets. If it weren't for the fact that Tony stood between him and the door, he'd have already been in the room with Gibbs and his father. He'd never understood why his dad couldn't accept him, and now, he didn't care. He realized the feeling, for the first time in his life, was mutual. Never had it been so apparent that he'd never be able to win his father's approval. No matter what, he wasn't going to be good enough. And if that wasn't enough, the bastard had gotten his mother killed, too.

Gibbs went over the facts of Marjorie Stevens' death once more, along with the evidence of drugs, asking Marvin once more if he'd like to change anything regarding his statements.

"Nope." Marvin sneered. "Must belong to my son."

"Sorry, but we've been over phone records, e-mails, and witness statements from your neighbors and his. You've not seen your son in two years, and some of those packages don't have dust on them, meaning they were recently added to the stash.

"Along with all of this, we have your finger-prints on those packs, and we've found two of the bookies you mentioned earlier. They're not happy with you, by the way, and they tell of how you mysteriously paid back over $300,000.00 in gambling debt between them. Pretty impressive for a guy who makes less than $100,000.00 a year."

Marvin seemed to shrink into his seat for a moment, and Gibbs thought he had him. But just as quickly as he realized he was well and truly caught, the man hardened once more.

"I don't care what you say you have. I've not done anything wrong." He narrowed his eyes. "I want a lawyer."

Tony looked with concern to where Tyler was pacing back and forth, his hands running through his hair. The poor kid had been calm, mostly collected at the start of the interrogation, but now he was a mess. His face had paled to a shade lighter than Abby, if that was possible, and he was starting to mutter as he shook.

"You ok?" Tony stepped up to Tyler, ready for just about anything. The younger man startled, as if having forgotten that Tony was there.

"No! He said those are my drugs! They're not! I can't prove it, either. I mean, I've not touched them, and I don't know what they even are, and I don't do drugs, but how do I prove that they're not mine?" He started pacing faster. "And why would he blame me, anyway? I've not…"

"You've not been over there, Tyler. We know that. You're not in trouble for anything. We know you're not. You're a victim, and that's not gonna change."

"But how can I prove…" Gibbs opened the door to the room next door, and Tyler's eyes followed his father, narrowing quickly. He pushed past Tony, fairly running into the hall.

"YOU BASTARD!" Tony got to Tyler just in time to grab him from behind and keep him from an assault charge. "I HATE YOU!"

"Feeling's mutual." Marvin snarled as he glared. "Never liked you."

"Why?" The sorrow in Tyler's voice was palpable.

"You're a boy, and yet…"

"I'm both, Dad. Why can't you accept that? I didn't choose it."

"We raised you a boy, asshole." Marvin's voice dropped. "And what do I catch you doing? Fucking that boy!"

"We were dating, Dad! What did you expect?"

"I don't know! A GIRL?" As he spoke the last word, Marvin broke free from the guard who held him and stepped forward, putting his cuffed fists to work, crashing into Tyler's face. Tony turned, shielding the younger man as a second blow came.

Gibbs had by then moved and had Stevens on the floor, his Sig pressed to the raging man's head. He demanded ankle chains, and within minutes, Marvin Stevens found himself stumbling back to his holding cell with his ankles bound as tightly as his wrists.

"You ok?" Gibbs gently felt around Tony's nose as he looked toward Tyler, who leaned against the wall.

"I guess." He shrugged. "I don't…" Tyler stopped speaking, swallowing hard. He drew in a deep breath, trying to hold in the bile he could feel rising in his throat. Only seconds later, he lost his battle.

Gibbs left Tony nursing his broken nose as he dashed for a trash can. He returned to the younger man too late to be of any service. With a sigh, he called Ducky.

The elderly ME sighed heavily as he picked up his bag. So much for finally getting to go home. With a resigned grumble towards criminals in general, he headed up the elevator shaft to the specified area.

The sight that greeted him had his more upset than he wished to admit. There was vomit all over the hallway floor, Tyler was throwing up once more, his nose was dripping blood, and Tony stood against the wall, his nose held in a bloody handkerchief.

"May I inquire as to what happened here?"

"Marvin Stevens happened here."

"Oh, dear." Ducky went to Tyler and handed him his handkerchief. "You know, Jethro, there are better places for this young man to be than in harms' way."

"I was in another room." Tyler choked out the words. "Wasn't…"

"If you weren't in danger, my dear boy, we'd not have this situation, would we?" Ducky poked and prodded at Tony's nose, verifying that he did indeed have a broken nose.

"Now for you, sir." Ducky stepped up to Tyler, who seemed to have his stomach under control. He gently prodded and poked about the man's nose, tsking in discontent. "Nothing broken, at least."

Twenty minutes later found Gibbs, Tony, and Tyler headed back to Jethro's house. Tyler was still under protection until the other arrests could be made, but at least he could do something positive to help the grieving young man. Pulling out his phone, he called McGee, who was still working in the bullpen.

"McGee."

"Call the Boggs'. Give them directions to my place. Tyler's not in danger from them."

"Sure thing." Gibbs could hear his youngest agent clacking away on his keyboard. "Boss? We got BOLO's out on everyone that we know of so far. We've not found anyone else. Still looking."

"Good work, McGee. You and Todd go home. Get some sleep, be back at 0800. Ya done good." Gibbs snapped his phone shut.

One short hour later, the Boggs arrived just behind the pizza delivery car, and Sharon raced up the walk, eager to see Tyler.

Gibbs asked Jeff to join him in the basement several minutes later. The man had made several cutting remarks, and Gibbs wanted it to stop. The kid had been through enough for the day.

"I take it you don't like Tyler?"

"Figured that out, did you?" Jeff's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Your wife seems to like him well enough." Gibbs wasn't entirely sure he wasn't going to be taking Boggs to interrogation. There was something wrong with this guy, and it centered on Tyler.

"You're wondering what I have against him." Jeff leveled his gaze at Gibbs, who nodded. "When they were teenagers, he and my son caught me with another woman." Jeff sneered. "Instead of keeping their mouths shut, they ran to Sharon and told her all about it."

"Seems sensible." Gibbs leaned back against his work bench. "I'd have been upset if I'd caught my dad running around." Jeff scoffed.

"Sure, that's what everyone says."

"You don't agree?"

"No." Jeff figured he may as well come clean, knowing this asshole wasn't going to see it his way. So much for male solidarity. "Tyler came to stay with us that weekend, and I was stuck with the both of them watching every move I made for months."

"They were watching out for Sharon."

"They were being little pricks!" Jeff slammed his hand down on the bench. "Tyler turned my son into a Mama's Boy who was so tied up in her apron strings that he was like a toddler. Tyler's a squealing little bitch who can't wait to give a new report on my activities. Why should I like him?"

"Because your son loved him, and he looks out for your wife's best interests." Gibbs kept his voice cool, not giving in to the anger he could feel building. "This is my house, Boggs. You've got two choices."

"What are those?" Jeff glowered.

"Be civil and leave your anger outside, or go stay at the hotel. I'm not gonna put up with it here. This is a safe-house, not a fuck-with-you-house."

"Bad-assed Marine." Jeff scoffed. "He's barely known you for two days, and he's got you bowing and scraping." Before Gibbs could respond, the man had left the basement. He heard Jeff say something in a nasty tone, and his door slammed shut moments later.

Gibbs took a deep breath and poured himself a finger of bourbon. Why some men had to give the rest of them bad names, he'd never understand.

Sharon stayed with Tyler over the next 12 hours, as Gibbs houseguest. Jeff had returned to the hotel, refusing to return until he needed to pick his wife up. The MCRT leader returned to work, leaving Tony behind to watch Tyler. Thankfully, most of the needed arrests had been made, and the only one still loose wasn't connected with the shooting, but was still dangerous, as he'd been Marvin's heroine contact.

Sharon stayed close for the remaining three days of Tyler's protection, calling at least once, and coming if Tony gave her the go-ahead. Once he was free to go, the Boggs' collected their son's body along with their exhausted and now-withdrawn son-in-law. Tony hoped the kid would be ok. He'd watched as Tyler seemed to sink into himself, and it worried him. A few glances at Sharon told him that she was worried, too, and that he was apparently right in his assumption that Jeff didn't care.

"Hey." Tony pulled Tyler to the side. "Here's my card. If you need anything, and I do mean anything, you call, ok?"

"Sure." Tyler nodded, and giving a ghost of a smile, climbed into the backseat of the sedan that would carry him to the airport and finally to his in-laws house, where he would stay for the next week. He'd figure out what to do once Charlie's funeral was over. For now, it was one breath at a time. That's all Tyler could hope for. One breath at a time.

He'd sat through his mother's funeral, and had felt nothing. Emptiness. Part of him worried about his lack of feeling, and another part felt relieved to be done with his parents. Some other little part of him, and he wasn't sure which part, felt guilt at never measuring up for either of them. Perhaps if she'd not blamed Marvin's abuse on him, then he'd feel something. But even as he tried, he couldn't. There was nothing.

Perhaps it was because he was so sad about Charlie. Whatever the reason, he knew he had this breath, and then the next. After that, he could only hope for the next.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own NCIS, any characters, or anything of value, really. Well, I guess I'd be in trouble if I didn't own my clothes, but I'm not sure you really care about THAT.

Author's Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar for keeping me going! Love ya, dude!

**This chapter skips ahead a bit, as in a couple of months after the last chapter.

########

Tony wandered through the aisles of his favorite movie store. It was the first Friday night he'd not had to work in over a month, and his DVD player was missing him. Well, that was his excuse at least.

He glanced over at the other occupant of his current aisle, and narrowed his eyes. He knew him, but couldn't remember where from. He glanced away, only to hear a soft greeting called out.

"Hi, Agent DiNozzo." The voice was quiet, and Tony's memories shot to the day he met this young man.

"Tyler, right?"

"Yeah." He blushed and looked down. "Wasn't sure if I should say hi or not."

"Sure, you should have. I was trying to place where I knew you from." He stuck out his hand, glad when the younger man shook it.

"Well, I look different now, that's for sure." His hair was cut into a funky style, and it seemed to change the shape of his face, which is what had thrown Tony off at first.

"You do. You look good, though." Tony motioned to the shelves. "Trying to decide how to spend a Friday night?"

"Yeah." Tyler chewed his nail, and Tony noticed they were painted black. He scanned down the other man's body quickly, doing his best to not chuckle. The kid had flair. "It's my first weekend back." He shrugged. "The house is all cleaned up, and I'm…"

"Kinda feeling lost?" Tyler nodded.

"More than kinda. So I decided to get dressed and go out. Maybe hit up a club. See if I can find someone to talk to."

"I'm someone to talk to." Tony grinned. "And I'm a whole lot safer than going to a club. How about we grab a movie, snag some pizza, and then watch said movie."

"You're not dumping some girl to spend the evening with me, are you?" Tyler looked uncertain. "Don't be blowing a date to keep me company."

"Nope. The only company I was gonna keep was my own, and my television." Tony sighed. "And Marilyn's. You like Marilyn Monroe?"

"Who doesn't?" Tyler grinned and picked up another of her movies. "She wears that sexy little number in this one."

"Thought you liked guys?" Tony bantered back, picking up a movie with Hugh Grant on the cover. "Somebody like him more your speed?"

"I may prefer men, Agent DiNozzo, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the, um, finer points women have to offer." Tyler winked, the black eyeliner he wore accentuating his eyes, and Tony wondered if he'd learned that from a girl in school, or if he'd made the girls jealous. Either way, he looked good.

"This is the start of a ..." Tony began the famous quote.

"If you're going to quote Casablanca, at least try to sound like him." Tyler plucked the movie Tony had teased him with from the agents hand. "And we're not watching Hugh Grant. Cary Grant, yes. Hugh Grant, no."

"Well, if we're watching old films, we need to be on a first name basis." Tony pretended to be serious for a moment. "My name's Tony. Nice to meet you."

"My name's Tyler. Just moved back." He shrugged. "Thanks for welcoming me to town."

"Sure thing, man."

They checked out and Tony headed to his car while Tyler pulled out his phone. He hadn't realized the other man wasn't heading to any of the cars in the parking lot right away.

"What pizza place do you want to stop at? I can pick it up and then meet you at your house?"

"That'll be fine." Tyler groaned into his phone. "I'm on hold."

"Who are you calling this late at night?"

"Cab. I was planning on going clubbing, so driving wasn't a good idea."

"Hang up, kid. Get in." Tyler grinned and pocketed his phone.

"Just don't call me "Kid. I'm not that much younger than you."

"It seemed to fit." Tony shrugged. "I was looking at you."

With a groan, Tyler got into the car.

Twenty minutes later, they walked into Tony's favorite pizzeria, and stood at the counter ordering. They decided to take their meal to go so they could get to their movies faster. A group of teens started snickering, and Tony paid them no mind, until he realized how tense Tyler had gotten. He listened in for a few moments, and realized that their laughter was aimed at his friend.

"You ok?" Tony kept his question quiet.

"Just stupid kids." Tyler looked down at his clothes. "You gotta admit, I look a little odd."

"No, you look Goth. There's a difference."

"Sure." Tyler grinned. "Black and purple hair with a hot-pink streak, a skin-tight neon yellow shirt that says "Dangerous Curves", and skinny jeans. I'm as Goth as they come."

"Don't forget the earrings." Tony reached up and lifted one. "Those are some nice carvings. Quartz?"

"I think so. Got them for Christmas a couple of years ago."

A loud laugh coupled with the word "faggot" rang through the air. Tony whirled around, but Tyler grabbed his arm.

"They're just stupid kids, Tony."

"And stupid kids like that are the ones who commit hate crimes as adults."

"Leave 'em alone, please? I've dealt with this all my life. You'll only add fuel to the fire. Trust me."

"Oh, look." One of the boys spoke loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear him. "His boyfriend stopped him. Isn't that sweet?"

Tony walked over to the table, while Tyler leaned against the counter. He heaved a sigh, wondering if he'd need to call the cops because of a cop. Things like this never went well.

"Excuse me." Tony approached the boys. "Couldn't help but overhearing what you had to say."

"Oops." A boy who resembled a fattened up turkey grinned up at him.

"Do you boys know what hate-speech is?"

"Not sure." The self-appointed spokesman spoke again, elbowing the boy sitting next to him. "Do you know what a fairy is?"

"Yes." Tony smiled. "They're mischievous characters found in the myths and legends of many cultures. But I'm pretty sure those aren't the fairies you're speaking of." Tony put his hand in his pocket, intentionally showing the badge he had clipped to his belt. "Hate speech, to answer the question I asked, is when one person uses cruel words to make fun of, cause emotional pain to, or make someone seem to be evil when they are not." Tony leaned down. "Of course, there're a few actual laws, and by shouting as you did, you could find yourself in court, if someone decided to press charges."

He glared at each of the boys, who were now sitting in silence, sliding down a bit. He found it ironic that they were brave until they were actually confronted. How typical of a bully.

"I trust you'll keep that in mind the next time you decide to start running your mouths in the future." He straightened up and walked back to where Tyler stood with his mouth agape.

"I can't believe you just did that."

"And I can't believe you'd just stand there and take that." Tony shook his head. "No one deserves that. Ever." He stopped when he saw that his words had just crushed the young man. "Besides." Tony grinned and winked. "You're hotter than any of them could ever hope to be. Jealousy, thy name is teenager who can't get any."

Tyler let out a loud burst of laughter as he grabbed the bottles of sodas they'd ordered. He followed Tony to the door, and turned to the boys and winked.

"Night, boys." He sashayed out to Tony's car. Both of them laughed when the boys were pressed to the window, nearly drooling over Tony's car. Tyler waved and blew a kiss, sending all four of the boys back into their seats with red faces.

"Dude, that was brilliant." Tony laughed as he threw the car into gear and started to drive. He held up his hand, and Tyler returned the high-five that hung for only seconds.

Tyler directed Tony to his house, and soon the two were inside. Tyler set out plates and told Tony where to find the silverware and cups.

"There's chips in the pantry there." He did his best Marilyn impression, which had Tony chuckling. "I'm going to go slip into something a little more…comfortable." He exited the kitchen, leaving his guest on his own for a few minutes.

When he returned, he was in a loose fitting pair of sweatpants and two t-shirts. Tony's eyes widened for a moment before he tried to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary. Tyler smirked. At least this guy wasn't being mean about it. He was trying so hard to _not_ look that he was making his glances that much more obvious.

"Just ask, Tony." Tyler rolled his eyes. "You're trying so hard to act normal that it's almost painful."

"Dude." Tony motioned to his friend's body. "Seriously. Where do you hide those?"

"In my binder."

"Your what?"

"I bind my chest, Tony. Like, strap these puppies down. Gets to hurting after a while. That's the main reason I didn't go clubbing tonight. Got about half way there, and decided the discomfort wasn't worth it. So I went to the store."

"Ok. I get that." Tony cleared his throat. "Sorry. I um, I mean, I've seen transgendered people before. But you're like, all natural."

"Well, yeah." Tyler grinned. "This is how I was born. A transgender, transsexual, or transvestite has the, um, parts for one, and chooses to be or feels that they are the other. Transgender people are the opposite gender, but usually it's their brain that's the opposite gender, and not the rest of their body. Transvestites just like to dress up like the opposite gender. People like me are born with both sets of junk." He watched Tony swallow. "There're a lot of variations for intersexed people. One common thing though? We can't stand to be called hermaphrodites.

"Like, some of us don't have any outward differences, but are different inside. For example, I know a guy who has one ovary and one testicle. He has menstrual cycles, but no breasts. He's got a genotype of XXY. And there's a girl that I met last year who has one ovary, one testicle, and everything else is sort of split down the middle. She's basically her own evil twin."

"Her own evil twin?" Tony's eyebrow cocked.

"Yeah." Tyler grinned. "Instead of being born fraternal twins, one egg absorbed the other. She's got XX and XY genes."

"And what about you?"

"I'm my own evil twin, too." Tyler smiled. "I just wasn't going to admit to my accidental cannibalism."

"Man, that's just wrong."

###########

The next time they saw one another was nearly a month later for a friendly game of basketball that turned disastrous when Tony managed to jump and roll his foot over.

"Shit." He fell to the ground, and Tyler ran to his side. "Gibbs is gonna kill me."

"What can I do?"

"Get me to Gibbs' house."

"No, seriously. That guy scares the shit out of me."

"He'll be nice."

"He was when I stayed with him. Doesn't mean he's not scary."

"Stop being a girl and help me up."

"Sure." Tyler helped him up. "And you're gonna pay for that girl remark, dude."

"Really?"

"Really." Tyler grinned. "Flowers, from me, on Monday morning."

"Shut up and help me to the car."

The drive was only four blocks, and Tyler wondered if Tony played ball at that park simply for how close it was to Gibbs' house. Tony winced once as they went over a speed bump, and Tyler slowed a little more. He glanced over at Tony, who was now glaring at him.

"What?"

"You're driving slower than my grandmother. I want an icepack. To get that, we need to get to Gibbs' house."

"Yeah. And I want to make sure you're not in agony once we get there. If he thinks I hurt you, he'll kill me."

They pulled into the sought-after drive only moments later, and Tony hobbled to the door and entered, not even bothering to make sure Tyler was behind him. To Tyler's horror, Gibbs was coming from his kitchen, and glared at his unexpected guests.

"What happened?"

"Twisted my ankle, Boss. Got any ice?"

"Sit down." Gibbs shook his head, heading back to the kitchen. "Didn't know you were back in town, Tyler." The young man's eyes flew open.

"Um, yeah. Got back a bit ago. Needed to finish up some contracts I had." He looked to Tony for help, only to have his friend pretending to ignore him. "Not sure if I'll stay or move. I, um, I'm still working on all of that."

Gibbs reentered the room and got Tony's foot up on the couch, putting the ice over the slightly swollen area. He glared at Tony for a moment, and realized his second was a lost cause. He turned to Tyler.

"So why come here? Neither of you have ice at home?"

"We, uh, we were at the park down the road." Tyler wondered if he'd manage to hold his bladder long enough to answer. "Um, he told me to bring him here." Gibbs smirked as he watched his prey squirm.

"Bathroom's through the kitchen." Tony laughed as Tyler took off running.

"Boss," He gasped between guffaw's. "It's not nice to make people wet themselves."

"Next time, don't put him in the position."

Gibbs headed out to his back yard, and Tony relaxed. He figured he had a few more minutes before Tyler came back, and during that time, he needed to get ready to tell the kid to chill out. Gibbs going to his backyard usually meant steaks, and he wasn't gonna pass up a good steak just because his buddy was nervous.

When Tyler reappeared, he looked around nervously.

"See? I told you it was a bad idea. Should have just…" Tony hid back a smirk as he saw Gibbs getting closer and closer to Tyler. He was practically standing on him when he finally spoke.

"Did what you did. Come on, Kid. Help me with dinner, will ya? I'll put the steaks on the grill. You can get the potatoes cooked. Microwave works, but it's kind of old. Gotta cook them pretty long."

"Yes, Sir." Tyler had jumped when Gibbs first spoke, and he looked no less skittish now.

"Don't call me Sir, I work for a living." The back door slammed as Gibbs left.

"Hey. Not passing up a free dinner, man." Tony held up his hands.

"You are so in for it, DiNozzo."

########

Two days later, Tony walked out of the elevator and headed to his desk. His steps faltered when he saw the group that had gathered around his work space.

"Alright. Alright. I'm not even here yet, so whatever it is can wait."

"No, it can't." Kate snickered as she turned around. "This is good, even for you."

"What?"

"You must have really pissed off some girl, Tony." Tim grinned. "Revenge, sweet revenge."

"What are you talking about?" The crowd parted, revealing his desk, which was a veritable garden of some flower that seemed to have a face in the petals. Several colors were arranged to create a smiley face of sorts, only the smile ended with a red tongue that was clearly sticking out.

"What the hell?" Tony pulled the card from the arrangement, his brow furrowed as he read. Gibbs came over and glanced at them.

"Pansies, DiNozzo. Seem pretty fitting, I'd say." He paused a beat. "Alright everybody, back to work."

#########

Back to back cases and terrorists kept Tony from hanging out with Tyler, and he found he missed the goofy man's humor. When he got a voice mail that Tyler was having a party at his house and wanted Tony to come and meet some of his other friends, he was glad that they had a much needed weekend off. He'd already had to cancel two movie nights, and didn't want to have to skip a party. Especially not if it involved girls in bikinis.

Tony jogged up the walk, the obligatory dish-to-pass tucked under his arm along with a case of beer. He saw a few presents sitting on the table and wondered what they were for. Tony glanced over and read a tag, wincing when he saw the words "Happy Birthday, Tyler".

Tony walked farther into the house and shouted his arrival, glad to see that there were indeed several beauties running around scantily clad. With a grin, he introduced himself to one, who proceeded to introduce him to her girlfriend. He felt his heart falter.

"Tony!" Tyler came over and gave his friend a huge hug. "Welcome! Please, set your stuff down. Most of us are out back. If you need to change, just use my room or the bathroom, whichever."

"Good to see you, too!" Tony returned the hug. "I didn't realize it was your birthday, I'm sorry."

"That's ok, I think I forgot to tell you. Anyway, I'm glad you're here, and it's always good to see that you brought my favorite kind of beer!"

"Any bottle that opens is your favorite kind, Tyler."

"Ah, yes. You know me so well."

"Uh-huh. Now let me see some ID before I give you one. Not gonna have underage drinking…"

"Whatever, jerk." Tyler rolled his eyes. "It's my 30th birthday, and no, I'm not handing over my ID. Now hand me a beer."

"30 years old." Tony pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "My little boy is all grown up."

"Shove it." Tyler playfully punched Tony's shoulder, even as he walked away.

Tony stared after his friend for a moment, laughing at the man's choice of clothing. Only Tyler could pull off a pair of men's swimming trunks paired with the top half of a bikini, and not look like an idiot.

Tony changed and headed outside. He watched his friend for a few minutes, and wondered why he seemed nervous, but then pushed the concern to the back of his mind. Tyler looked like he was having the time of his life. True, he never settled down, and his laughter seemed to be slightly forced, but he was running in and out of his house getting things, and greeting people as they came. Maybe he was just too busy.

As the afternoon wore on, and Tyler never slowed, but seemed to pick up the speed of his "errands", Tony pulled him aside.

"You ok?"

"Never better." Tyler's smile was so plastic that Tony's worry increased.

"You're not yourself, Tyler. You're usually relaxed, and today you're nervous as shit."

"It's my first party since Charlie died, ok?" Tyler glanced around nervously. "I just want to get it right, you know?"

"You sure that's all it is?"

"Promise." Tyler tried to smile a little more convincingly, but still didn't meet Tony's eyes.

"Alright then, Host with the Most…which of these amazing and hot beauties can I hit on? Who isn't attached?"

"Oh, I'm not attached, Handsome." A well-muscled man leered down Tony's body. "You could totally take me home." He sighed. "But you are way too into girls. What a waste."

Tony blushed, but grinned anyway. He held out the beer he'd intended to drink, and offered it to the man.

"Thanks, but you're right. Doesn't mean I'm not interested in meeting a new friend."

"Ah, so close." Andrew winked to Tyler. "Just wish close came with a cigar."

Tyler burst out laughing as he walked past, patting Tony on the shoulder.

"Good luck, buddy. He's a man-eater."

"No, I'm not." Andrew pretended to be offended as he shouted after their host. "I'm a swallower."

"Well, that's sort of too much information." Tony's voice was dry, but his expression held amusement as he cracked open another beer. "So, Mr. Swallow, what do you do, and more importantly, what is your name?"

"My name is Andrew, and I'm an attorney." He held out his hand, and Tony gave it a firm shake. "I also tend to read people, and unless I'm mistaken, you and Tyler sort of fancy one another?" He lifted his eye brows.

"We're friends."

"Moving toward friendlier?" Andrew sounded hopeful. "Charlie's been gone for months, and Tyler, well, he's happier when he has someone." He leaned against the counter. "We can all tell when he's been alone, or been with friends. You're the biggest difference, Tony. He's happy for days later. I don't know if it's because you're a new friend, or if you really don't care about his, well, issues, but he's just… he's a people person, you know?"

"Yeah, that he is." Tony grinned. "He's a good kid."

"Kid?" Andrew looked over his shoulder to where Tyler bounced from one table to the next. "Are we looking at the same man?"

"We are. I was just trying to keep it on the friend only side."

"Sure." Andrew winked. "And when you convince yourself of that, let me know." Tony opened his mouth to reply, thought better of his remark, which he realized could be taken a number of ways, and closed it.

"How long have you known him?" Tony leaned against the counter, mimicking the other man's pose.

"We met when he and Charlie moved here. That was 8 years ago. They were fresh out of school. Well, Tyler was. Charlie had been in the Navy for a while, and had been on a few deployments. It looked like he was going to be stationed here for a while, and since he wanted to go into nursing when he was done with his service, this was the place to be, you know?"

"Sounds like a good plan. I didn't realize they lived here that long."

"Oh, yeah. From what I understand, they couldn't get away from their families fast enough." Andrew shrugged. "I love his mother in law, Sharon. You've met her, right?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Well, she's just fabulous. If I ever get married, I hope I end up with a mother in law like her. She's terrific. But Jeff, well, let's just say that I've never known two people to be so opposite and actually stay together. Talk about keeping it together for the kids."

"I've met Jeff, and I have to agree with that statement."

"Oh, you've already been introduced to the in-laws, have you? Planning on making them out-laws any time soon?" Andrew wiggled his eyebrows.

Just as his mind supplied another smart remark, his phone rang. "DiNozzo." He grimaced and pulled the notepad from his pocket and jotted down an address. He closed his phone, and made a face. "So much for not being on call this weekend."

"Tough."

"Yeah. You know where Tyler is?"

"Last I saw, he was doing a cannonball into the pool."

"Thanks, man." Tony headed out to the back yard, calling his buddy to the side of the pool. "I gotta go, Tyler. I'll see ya later." At the younger man's crestfallen expression, Tony waggled his phone. "Duty calls. Not by choice."

"Ok." Tyler climbed from the pool and hugged Tony. "I'll take that excuse. But you'd better show up for movie night."

"So long as we're done with this case, man, so long as we're done."

Andrew came over and stood by Tyler, watching Tony walk away. He cocked his head to his host, a half-smile lurking on his face.

"Nice ass, huh?"

"Don't even go there, you dirty old man." With a laugh, Tyler pushed Andrew into the pool.

#########

Tony pulled into Tyler's drive, glad that he'd not needed to cancel once more. He'd missed six movie nights and solved six murders since he'd seen his buddy last. His car was barely parked when Tyler ran out the front door.

He wore a huge smile, and Tony shook his head as he took in Tony's outfit. The guy had a fashion sense all his own, and he was sure that when and if Tyler was ever ready to meet Abby, that they'd turn more heads than he'd be able to keep track of.

Tonight he sported a billowing purple shirt and tie coupled with black pants. That wasn't bizarre in and of itself. The unusual thing was that his pants were skin tight leather, and his shirt was silk. The combination made him look like he was out of some Siegfried and Roy side show, but he pulled the look off. How, Tony wasn't sure, but the look was entirely Tyler.

"So where are we off to tonight, Tony?"

"I was thinking low key, like dinner and a movie, but it looks like you're ready to go clubbing."

"Dinner and a movie sounds' great." Tyler beamed. "Can we go to Hard Rock Café? I love the music. That, and I hear that there's a new guitar. I'd love to see it."

"Hard Rock Café it is." Tony put the car in gear and backed out the drive.

"So what's kept you so busy?"

"One murdered lance corporal, and a terrorist. Can't really say anything more than that."

"Guess I'm glad." Tyler shuddered. "That isn't something I want to hear about."

"Didn't figure you wanted to." Tony smiled over at him. "So a movie afterwards?"

"But of course!"

"Rented or out?"

"I want to go out tonight." Tyler quieted a bit as he answered. "I just want to be away for a bit, you know?"

"Sure." Tony replied just as quietly. "Everything ok?"

"Sure." Tyler shrugged. "It's just, I don't know, lonely sometimes, you know?"

"Sorry I've had to cancel out so much."

"Work is work, Tony." Tyler shrugged. "Trust me, I get it. I've got other friends, too. It just seems like everybody gets busy all at the same time."

#########

The two friends sat back in their seats soaking in the thumping music and fun atmosphere as they waited for their burgers. Tyler watched the dance floor, occasionally glancing over to Tony. He finally turned to the older man and tapped his hand.

"Alright, I'm gonna play the infamous girl card."

"Girl card?"

"Yes. I get to use it at my discretion, and you don't get to apply it."

"Such as that time I told you to stop being a girl?"

"Yes." Tyler nodded. "That was an inappropriate use of the girl card."

"Because I applied it?" Tony's eye brows lifted. "So what is this girl card you're going to apply?"

"I want to dance."

"I'm not dancing."

"Yes, you are." Tyler stood, a grin on his face. He already knew Tony was going to cave. He'd seen the man practically dancing in his chair. "Come on. This song rocks."

"Of course it does." Tony stood and led the way to the dance floor. "It has to rock. We're in the Hard Rock Café."

"True, but there's rock, and then there's _rock_. This, my friend, is _rock_."

"Fine." Tony rolled his eyes. "But I swear, if I see anyone I know, my ass is going right back to my seat."

"Spoil sport."

The two kept a "safe" distance from one another, sometimes dancing with one another without touching, and sometimes dancing with a new person to hit the floor. Tony realized his skills were sadly lacking when he noticed Tyler busting moves that put him to shame, and more than once, he realized his younger friend was mocking him playfully with some stiff not-quite-robot dance. Much to Tony's relief, their meals arrived, and he dragged Tyler from the floor.

"Come on, Mr. Gene Kelly Wanna-be. Time to eat."

"I'm not a Gene Kelly wanna-be." Tyler stuck out his tongue. "I'm an original."

"Whatever. Shut up and eat." Were it not for the large smiles that graced both of their faces, anyone listening would have assumed they were fighting. Tyler had the glare down even better than Abby, but luckily for Tony he couldn't keep it longer than a few seconds before grinning like mad.

#########

"That was fun." Tyler yawned as he opened his car door. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Tony patted his shoulder. "Hope you have a good week, man."

"You, too. We'll have to do this again."

"Sure, but next time, we go to a movie I choose."

"Oh, come on." Tyler yawned again. "You didn't like that?"

"Um, no." Tony laughed. "That was a chick-flick thinly disguised as a real movie."

"It was a real movie."

"It was a chick-flick."

"You say toe-mato, I say toe-mahto."

"Dude, even that song is old. Come on, get out of my car."

"Fine, fine, fine." Tony waited until he was sure Tyler was in his house before pulling away.

Neither man realized that cases would come up, keeping them from seeing one another for nearly two months. They shared a few hit and miss phone calls, a couple of cancelled movie nights, and one missed dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything of lasting value, and certainly not NCIS.

Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar, my amazing beta! Love you!

Note: Another skip in time, and this chapter is gonna cover a span. Just go with it.

###########

Tyler woke and rolled over to his side. Today wasn't shaping up to be a good day, and he'd not even gotten his feet on the floor. With a groan, he sat up and pushed aside his blanket.

Sometimes when he dreamed of Charlie, it was so real. He'd wake up, and the room would still smell of Hugo Boss, as if Charlie had just gotten up to use the bathroom. Those dreams were so unfair.

"Dammit, Charlie." Tyler wiped a hand over his eyes, wiping away tears that hadn't fallen. "If I can't have you here, it's not fair to keep showing up like this."

He padded downstairs and turned on his coffee maker, and then headed back up for a shower. He got his clothes all ready, but then decided that since he was staying in all day he'd just hang out in his pajamas for a while. He could work just as easily in his flannel pants as he could with jeans.

He looked at the calendar and grimaced. It was hard to believe that his husband of 8 hours had been gone for 10 months already.

"Funny. We didn't even get an hour of marriage for every year we knew one another." He poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting at the table, spreading a blueprint out before him.

Twenty minutes later, he'd accomplished nothing but shifting the page around on the table top. He ran his hands through his hair once more and stood up, intending to refill his coffee. He sloshed what was left in the cup and narrowly missed the page.

"Shit." He dodged the splash of now cold coffee and looked at his cup as if it had offended him in a terrible way. "That's it. I'm going back to bed." He grumbled to himself as he climbed the stairs, muttering and mumbling about the quiet and irritation of not getting anything done.

He lay down on his bed and pulled his blanket up to his chin. He waited a few minutes, and then rolled onto his side. Several minutes later, he rolled onto his back and allowed his mind to overtake his actions. It wasn't long until his breath was labored as he practically pushed himself through a climax that was a shadow of anything he'd experienced with his love. Finally feeling spent of his restless energy and emotional haze, he fell asleep.

The day passed without his knowledge. He stayed asleep until it was nearly dark, and woke only because his house phone was ringing. Tyler let it ring, and waited for the answering machine to pick up.

"_Hey, Tyler, this is Tony. I'm sorry man, but I have to go out of the country. I'll be gone at least a week. Maybe we can get together when I get home. If you get this message in an hour or so, and it's, um, 7:30 now, call me. Otherwise, I'll be unreachable for the next week. Talk to ya when I can. Bye."_

Tyler sighed and pulled the covers over his head and fell back to sleep. The week passed with Tyler spending most of it in bed. He rose only when he was so hungry his stomach hurt, or when he had an idea of what to do with the blueprints that he was behind schedule on. By the time he was ready to turn them in, he was two days late, but found he really didn't care.

"Tyler, this isn't like you." Julia Everson sat at her desk looking over the blueprints he'd just turned in. "They're good, that's not the problem." She looked up. "But you're late, and you're always on time."

Tyler swallowed hard. The older woman felt her heart go out to the young man. She'd struggled so badly in the first three years after her husband died. Perhaps it was time to just open the can of worms.

"I just couldn't focus." He rubbed his arm nervously. "I tried, but it was like," he paused. "I don't know. It was like the harder I tried, the more my mind wandered."

"Missing Charlie?" Tyler nodded silently. "Well, it's important for you to get your work in, Tyler. I'm not going to reprimand you formally this time, but if it happens again, I'll have to." He nodded again. "We could work something out."

"Like what?" He barely whispered his question.

"When my husband passed, I kept on doing what I was doing, and just like you, I got to a point where I just couldn't." Tyler met her sympathetic gaze. "You've not taken any time, Sweetie, not since you came back to town. It's hard, I know it is. Why don't you take a break? Don't quit on us, but how about we put you down into a project group that has fewer demands? It'll just be temporary." She added that phrase when she saw his frightened expression.

"I don't want to lose…"

"You're not going to lose anything, Tyler. You've been a valuable asset to our company, and I want to keep you as long as we can."

"Thanks." He shuffled nervously. "So what do you suggest?"

"I think that maybe we can put you down to some of the home addition projects, rather than the home building projects. Most of those have due dates that are far more relaxed, and they're less stress."

"Ok."

"Take care of yourself, Tyler, ok?" He nodded again. "I'll call you in a couple of days with your next project, alright?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "Thanks for understanding."

"Of course, Hon. You go home and get some rest, ok?"

Tyler drove home slowly and parked his car. He sighed heavily and finally unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. When had simple tasks become so hard? He trudged up the stairs and changed into a clean pair of pajamas and sank into the oblivion of sleep.

#####

Nearly four weeks passed, and Tyler had turned in two small remodeling projects that were simple rooms. One was a bathroom, and the other added closets and shelves to a room. Tyler wondered why people hired architects for small projects like that. It seemed so easy.

It was Friday night, and he thought about going out, just to be out. Where he'd go was the problem. He called Tony, and got no answer. With a sigh, Tyler pulled out his tight leather pants that Charlie had dubbed his "hotness" pants, and was surprised to find that they were loose.

"When did that happen?" He thought back over the past few weeks. He'd not really exercised, and he'd eaten some. Maybe that was it. He'd not eaten much. "Hard to eat when you're not hungry."

With a shrug, he got dressed up, even putting on makeup and being ready to hit a club in full drag. There were some days when binding his chest was just too painful to think about, and today was one of those days. Once he was ready, he looked in the mirror.

"I look like shit." He went back to his bedroom and pulled on a pair of old sweats and headed down the stairs.

Thirty minutes later, he answered the door and accepted a delivery of linguini and bread sticks. He sat toying with his fork for a while, not really eating. He finally picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, landing on a pay-per-view movie. He ate less than half of his dinner and turned the movie off.

"What the hell?" He put the take out container in his fridge. "What's wrong with me?" Realizing that no one would answer, he headed back up the stairs and tried to sleep. Too bad he'd slept most of the day.

#####

"Good morning, Tyler." Julia chirped through his phone. "We've got a new contract, and it's one that's made just for you."

"What's that?" He yawned into his hand, glad his boss couldn't see him. His hair was sticking out in every direction, and he'd winced at the dark circles under his eyes when he'd showered earlier. That's as far as he'd gotten in the two hours he'd been up. A shower.

"Magic DC, the Gender Identity group?"

"Yeah, I have some friends over there."

"Great. Then you may even know the area they want redone, Tyler. They want their meeting room to be upgraded. They want a stage, multimedia capabilities, the works. If you want this, it's yours."

"I'll take it."

"Good. I was hoping you would." Julia smiled. "You've had a few weeks to get rested, but I'm not expecting you to rush and get this done in a day, ok? They've got some time, and so it's not going to be a rush job."

"Thanks." Tyler hoped he could actually do it; he wanted to. This was something right up his alley, and it helped that it was a cause he could identify with. If only his head would stay in the game. "I'm feeling a lot better." He hoped his voice wouldn't give him away.

"I'm glad to hear it." There was a pause. "If you need help, or find that you're not able to keep up, you'll let me know?"

"Yeah." He nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "I'll let you know."

"Good. Have a good day, Tyler."

"Thanks, you too."

Two hours later, he was dressed and ready to meet with the folks over at the gender identity facility. He wore comfortable clothes, knowing that they'd not be offended by however he decided to present himself. Most of them knew him already, so he went with a loose printed shirt, a solid tie, and loafers. It felt good to get nicely dressed and out of the house.

#######

"Hey, Handsome! We've missed you around here. What on earth are you doing with that briefcase? And even more important, have you been eating? Honey, you're skin and bones!"

Tyler walked through the door and was greeted by Victoria, a tall woman who had played varsity football at his college fifteen years before. As Thomas, he'd been frustrated and angry, however, as Victoria, she was verbose, flirtatious, and one of the "main attractions" at their weekly meetings. No one ever knew what she'd be wearing, but one thing was certain… no matter what she donned, she was all woman, and could pull off any outfit, no matter how strange it was.

"It's good to see you, too." Tyler smiled as he leaned over and kissed his friends' cheek. "You didn't call me back the other night." His voice held a touch of reproach.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She bit her lip. "That guy who was hitting on me? The one who I'd called you and told you about earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I kinda took him home." Victoria turned as pink as her dark skin would allow as Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Fine, you're excused this time, but never again, young lady."

"Thank you, kind sir." She sat back and quirked an eyebrow. "Now, tell me what you're doing here looking all spiffy and with that case."

"It seems that my firm has elected me to be your architect…" He got no further in his explanation before her loud squeal cut him off.

"I was hoping we'd get someone friendly!" Victoria stood and schooled her features. "Since you're here on official business." She straightened her jacket and lined up her skirt "just so", and then cleared her throat moments before shaking his hand. "Mr. Stevens-Boggs, my name is Victoria Phillips, and welcome. Please, follow me, and I'll introduce you to our Director."

"Thank you, Ma'am, and may I say what a lovely necklace you're wearing?"

"This old thing?" She batted her eyelashes playfully. "You smooth talker."

Tyler laughed as he followed her down the hall. She showed him the room they were thinking of converting, and he shook his head. It was the same room he'd suggested they redo nearly a year ago. Of course, at that time, they'd had a different director, and the man was just learning to flex his proverbial muscles, so anything that was suggested was nixed…hence the reason he was no longer the director.

Victoria stopped and raised her hand to knock, and Tyler fought the urge to chuckle. He remembered the days when Thomas had first come to the group, expressing his confusion and near hatred of himself and his body. In the past ten years, Thomas had transformed from a huge, hulking wide-receiver to the Victoria Tyler absolutely adored. He wondered for a moment if any of Victoria's old teammates ever saw her, and what they thought of the contented six-foot-four beauty she'd become.

"Shane?" She popped her head in after hearing a reply. "The architect is here, and I have to say that he is yummy."

"I sure hope he's not in hearing range, Vicky."

"Of course he is." She motioned to Tyler, who stepped through the door, grinning.

"Hey, Shane. They sent me to this nut-house. Apparently, they felt someone yummy was needed on this one."

"Oh, thank heavens." The man stood and greeted Tyler. "I could just _see_ some balding gray-haired man running out the door, terrified that Tim Curry was waiting for him behind every door."

"Tim Curry's here?" Tyler brightened, playing along. "Is he dressed up?" He gave a sexy growl. "You know what that outfit does to me."

"You know what that outfit does to anyone who's got a pulse." Shane smiled. "I used to have some curves, but that man made that outfit sexier than I ever could have pulled it off."

"No kidding." Tyler motioned to his body. "Charlie asked me to dress up in that once, and it was a flop. Well, he liked it, but let's face it, I was no Frank N Furter."

"Well, I'm gonna leave you boys to talk. Me, I sort of prefer Magenta." Victoria fanned herself as she left, earning a laugh from her companions.

"So, she showed me the room you guys are thinking of redoing."

"Yeah, come on." Shane strode to his office door. "I think you recommended some changes for it a while back?"

"I did." Tyler smiled. "I'd like to hear what you have in mind."

For the next two hours, the two men stood in the room talking and pointing to various spots. Tyler made notes and drew sketches, getting his employers ideas down as he'd wanted.

"So, do you think this is possible?"

"Shane, it's a building. Anything is possible."

"Really? So, like you can put it on stilts and make it rotate?"

"Smartass."

"Hey." Shane tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm gonna call that nice lady I talked to this morning and tell her you called me bad names."

"Go for it." Tyler winked. "She'll never believe it."

#######

Tyler felt lighter than he had in weeks. He was supposed to go out with Andrew, and he had spent a great afternoon at the foundation. Life was finally looking up.

He pulled into his drive and bounced from his car. He'd realized on the way home that he only had an hour to get ready, and that would have to include his drive over to Andrew's house. "_Oh, well"_, he reasoned to himself, "_It's better to be rushed than to have nothing to do_."

Once in his room, he picked out his clothes and headed for the shower. He adjusted the water and climbed beneath the spray, looking forward to telling Andrew of the good day he'd had. He heard the phone ring and hurried to rinse.

"…_at the beep."_ Those words rang out as Tyler turned off the water. _"Hey, Tyler, it's Andrew." _Tyler's brow knit. Why was he calling now? _"I'm not gonna make it, man. Sorry, but I overbooked, and well, I have this business meeting to go to."_ His eyes narrowed as he heard a very manly chuckle in the background. _"I'll catch you later, ok?"_

There was a beep, and Tyler assumed that Andrew had ended the call. It soon became apparent that he'd hit the wrong button.

"_You sure you want to cancel on him?"_ Tyler listened with disbelief to the first disembodied voice.

"_Yeah, man. You have no idea how horrible it is to hang out with him anymore. I mean, it's Charlie this, or Charlie that. Come on. The dude's been dead for a year now. How long is he gonna mope?"_

"_Gotta be hard to lose someone like that."_

"_Maybe." Andrew conceded for a moment. "But honestly? I'd rather not waste my night passing him tissues."_

"_If you are satisified with your message…"_

"_Oh, shit! It's still…" _Tyler picked up the offending machine and threw it at the wall. He watched it shatter into pieces, wishing it was Andrew's face.

He stormed back to the bathroom and looked at himself. In those few steps, all of the fight had gone out from his body.

"Why don't people understand?" His breath caught. "Yes, it's been a year, but I miss him. Every day, it's like there's a new hole torn in my heart. I have to wake up to his empty pillow, and his empty side of the bed. It's not like I haven't tried to move on." He sank to the floor, weeping.

"I miss you." He started speaking directly to his husband. "I miss you so much. I'm sorry he shot you. I wish it was me. I should have died, not you." He hiccupped. "Why can't I die? Why didn't I get to go with you?" His voice rose in a mix of panic and sorrow. "It's not fair! It's. NOT. FAIR!"

He leaned over, resting his head on the cool tile of the bathroom floor as he continued to weep. Sometime later, he registered the headache that comes with crying too hard, but was too tired to stand up and get some aspirin. He lay there, wishing he could just be done with his miserable existence.

Tyler wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he obviously had, as he woke up. He shivered, and realized that he still wore nothing but the towel he'd wrapped around himself in the hopes of getting to his phone on time.

He rose silently and went to his dresser, pulling out his favorite pair of pajama pants. It slowly started to sink in that he'd indeed lost all of his friends. Even Tony wasn't calling him back, and Victoria had left him hanging. He sighed as he debated about dinner. Finally deciding that if it took that long to decide, that he wasn't hungry, he turned off the lights and went to bed. So much for a good day.

##########

Nearly a week had gone by, and during that time, Tyler's phone hadn't rung with the exception of one call from Julia to check on how his meeting went, and one sales call that he'd hung up on.

He sat staring at the pages before him, trying to remember exactly what he'd been doing. Even more troubling was his confusion at what had stolen his attention from what he working on. His vision blurred, and he remembered. He was hungry.

Tyler stood and swayed slightly, balancing himself on the table.

"Shit." He smirked. "Should have stopped a while ago, I guess." He stumbled to the kitchen and opened his fridge. A box of pizza fairly growled at him, and he curled his nose. "Need to shop, but that's not gonna happen."

He settled for some hot tea with a ton of sugar in it while he leafed through menus for the restaurants around him. Nothing really sounded good, so he had another cup of tea, satisfied when the sugar settled his stomach and made his head feel clear again.

He thought back over the last few days, and realized he'd only eaten once in the last couple. Figuring he needed to eat something, he called and ordered some bourbon chicken and fried rice. That was easy on his stomach, and with how upset he was starting to feel from the tea, easy was going to be best.

Tyler grimaced as he pulled the drawstring tighter in his pants. They were looser than they'd been the week before, and while he knew that was cause for concern, he couldn't bring himself to care. He was eating when he felt hungry, or at least when he realized he was. It was getting harder and harder to tell hunger from tired.

His phone rang, and he looked at it, mildly confused for a moment. The fog finally lifted, and he picked up the receiver.

"Hey, man." Andrew's subdued voice came over the line.

"What the fuck do you want?" Tyler suddenly felt an energy that he'd not had in weeks, yet it all funneled to rage.

"I'm sorry about…"

"Calling me pathetic? Canceling out on me so you could get laid, and then making fun of me? Talking about what a drag I am? Fuck you. And you know what, if you can't handle the fact that I'm still mourning my HUSBAND'S DEATH, then I'm sorry that you have your head that far up your ass. Don't bother calling back, asshole." He slammed his phone down, shaking with the sudden anger that had overtaken him.

His vision blurred, and he felt the room spin. He tried to draw a deep breath seconds before the world went black.

He woke to the persistent ding of his doorbell. Tyler picked himself up, wondering why he'd fallen asleep on his kitchen floor. That was a new one, even for him.

"Coming." He felt unsteady, but he got to the door anyway. He accepted the delivery of his dinner, and signed the slip, writing in a tip. "Thanks."

"Have a good day." With that, Tyler was once again alone.

The smells emanating from the containers made him feel slightly sick, but he knew he needed to choke down a few bites. He tossed open the lid, and took a bite. His face twisted, and he raced for the bathroom, vomiting into the sink, unable to even make it to the toilet.

#######

Tony grumbled to himself as he stepped off of the plane that carried him and Kate back to the States. He hated being gone this long. It was always bad when he had to cancel plans, especially when they involved Tyler. The poor guy was so alone. It seemed his "friends" only wanted to be around when they could get something, or when he was in a good mood. More than once, Tony had sat quietly with him, simply being there for him while Tyler waded through his sorrow. He hoped that in the past month, someone had stepped up for his friend.

He pulled his cell out and listened to his messages. One message was from some girl that he obviously gave the wrong number to, and one from McGee. However, the next two had him concerned. Tyler sounded pretty ok in the first, but in the second message, his voice shook. Something wasn't right.

"Hey, Kate, can you drive? I need to make a call."

"What, the car's not good enough for a DiNozzo to drive?"

"No." Tony gave her a bright smile. "I just need to call and check in on a friend."

"Oh, so you _do _have those." Kate turned the ignition over. "So, what's her cup size? Is that how I'm supposed to guess which one she is?"

"HE is going through some hard times, and he left me a couple of messages. I just want to call and see if he's ok. We may not have a chance to. After all, we were ordered to hurry back, because we have another case already."

"He, huh?" Tony plugged his ear, trying to shut her noise out. "Playing in your closet, are you? Always figured you were bi."

"I'm not bi, Kate." Tony rolled his eyes. "Now shut up so I can hear."

"Hello?" Tyler's voice sounded quietly in Tony's ear.

"Hey, Tyler, it's Tony."

"Hey."

"I'm sorry, I've been out of town. Had to leave the country on a case, actually."

"It's ok, Tony." Tyler sounded resigned. "I know people don't want to spend time with some freak who cries all the time."

"Tyler, I'm serious. I had to go to Panama. We just got back, and were told to go straight to the office, since we have another big case. I'm sorry, man." He was met with silence. "I'm not sure when I'll be able to call again, ok? That's why I'm calling now."

"Pretty concerned there, Tony, for a _he_ who is only a friend."

"Shut up, Kate." Tony shot her a glare. "Keep your eyes on the road. We don't need Gibbs killing us for wrecking a rental."

"You're really working?" Tyler's voice betrayed the slim hope he held.

"Yeah, Tyler, I've really been working. I'm sorry I've not been around." He looked down at his phone and sighed. "I gotta go. Gibbs is calling."

"Bye." Tyler barely got his word out when Tony disconnected the call.

Tyler stared at his phone, not quite sure of what to think. He'd been sure that Tony had been blowing him off because he'd been so needy. After all, he knew what the rest of his friends thought of him. He sat down on his couch and stared at his phone. Maybe Tony was calling only because he felt like he had to. In Tyler's emotional state, that explanation made perfect sense.

#####

"I'm worried about him, Kate."

"Worried?" She scoffed. "I'm still shocked that you apologized to him. How many times was that? Three, four?"

"Not funny, Kate." Tony opened his door as soon as she parked.

"I'm just teasing, Tony."

"And some things aren't funny, Kate." She drew back and looked at him.

"You're serious."

"Yes, I am. He's… oh, shit."

"What?"

"It's been a year."

"A year for what?"

"Since Charlie died." Kate jogged to keep up with the quickly moving man.

"Who's Charlie?" He glared at her. "What? I'm supposed to know all of your friends now?"

#########

"Hey, Boss." Tony strode into the bullpen, Kate hot on his heels. "What's up?"

"Got a case. Get some notes stored away from this last one, and then let's get going. Need you undercover again."

"Can I have a few hours?"

"Nope." With that, Gibbs disappeared.

Tony sighed and picked up his phone once more.

"Didn't Gibbs tell us to type up our notes, and get ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I'm going undercover again, Kate." Tony drawled out his words. "So I'm going to do a little personal stuff while I can. And if this ten minutes is all I have, then so be it."

"Slacker." Tony mocked her once she was turned back to her desk. A glare had McGee focusing on his computer and "ignoring" Tony.

DiNozzo dialed his phone and turned his chair to the corner, keeping his voice low.

"Hey, Tyler, I'm sorry, but I've got to go undercover again. I won't have any time between now and when I'm gone again. I'm sorry, man. I'll be in touch as soon as I can. Hang in there, ok?"

"_Get off the phone, DiNozzo."_ Gibbs strode back into the bullpen. _"You're needed in the lab. Abby's waiting."_

"_Boss, I'm just leaving a message…"_

"_I don't care." _

"_Boss…"_

"_Get your ass down to the lab, DiNozzo, before I find myself a new SFA."_

"_We just got back."_

"_And you're going out again. GO!"_ Tyler listened to the conversation being recorded on his new answering machine with detached interest. At least he knew for sure that Tony wasn't lying.

#########

Tony stood by Abby's side as she created his newest identity. She could feel the tension radiating off of him, and had asked once, only to be glared at in response. She rambled on to hide her hurt, and got back to the business of creating Tony L. DiFazio, pilot.

"Really? I gotta be Tony again?"

"Yes." Abby nodded firmly. "Let's face it, Tony, you just look like a Tony."

"Well, that's no fun." He pretended to sulk. "I want to look like a Fabio, or a…" the doors swished open. "Gibbs."

His voice went flat, and Abby looked up, curious as to why he'd suddenly changed. She opened her mouth to speak, and before she could say anything, thought better of it. The two men were at one another's throats before she could say "Burt farted."

"Boss, why can't I have an hour…"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?" Tony squared off with the older man. "I just got back from a two week non-vacation, and I'm going off on another non-vacation. I asked for an hour of personal time, and was told no. Do I need another reason to be pissed?"

"What, you got a hot date?"

"No." Tony was nearly shouting by this time. "I wanted to go check on Tyler." His eyes narrowed. "You know, Tyler? Lost his husband? It's a year today?"

"Sorry, but we don't have time for over-emotional…"

"Over-emotional?" Tony scoffed and turned away. "That's rich, coming from a man who gets drunk on the anniversary of his latest divorce every year."

"Don't you turn your back on me, dammit!" Gibbs whirled Tony around to face him once more. "I don't give a shit about your personal life right now, DiNozzo. There's a killer out there, and we need you on this case. Either man up, or take leave. You've got 30 seconds." He was shouting right into Tony's face, and Abby backed up.

"If you send in McGeek, he's dead, Boss, and you know it. Is one fucking hour too much to ask?"

"Finish this up, Abby. He leaves in 20." Gibbs didn't even look in Tony's direction as he strode angrily from the lab.

"Probably not a smart thing to do, Tony."

"No, but he's got to realize that the world doesn't revolve around Leroy Jethro Gibbs and whatever the hell he happens to want at this moment." Tony sighed. "Come on. Finish that shit. I gotta go finish getting ready. Call me when you're done."

###########

Tyler sat working on the blueprints, putting on the final touches. He'd turn them in today, and to his satisfaction, he was two days early. He stood, and felt the room sway.

"Damn." He swallowed a cup of the super-sweet tea he'd been able to stomach for the last few days, and called for a taxi. "Dizziness and driving. Yeah, that'd be a good combination."

He headed up the stairs and looked at his closet. Nothing fit him anymore. Even his tightest clothes hung off of him as if he was going for the baggy-unkempt look. He wondered briefly how much weight he'd lost. His next thought was to wonder why it mattered.

The bathroom scales seemed important suddenly, so he shifted the rectangular box around and stepped up. His eyes grew wide. No wonder his clothes were baggy. He'd lost 37 lbs.

"When the hell did that happen?" He muttered to himself as he worked at getting dressed semi-presentably. "I'm not hungry. I mean, if I was starving myself, I'd know it, right? If I was hungry, I wouldn't throw everything up." He shrugged as he buttoned his shirt.

"Who knows, and who cares." He laughed bitterly. "My so called friends sure don't. Well, Tony may, but I've not heard from him since the last time he called, and that's been another two weeks. I'm sure if he wanted to, he'd have called by now. He's probably tired of me being all weepy sometimes, too." He tied his tie with near-fury and looked at himself in the mirror.

"See what I am, Charlie? This is me without you. Literally wasting away. Friendless." He wiped a tear from his eye. "At least I have a job to keep this place, huh?" He rolled his eyes at himself in the mirror.  
"And I talk to myself now, too. Isn't that just special?

"Of course, there's no one else to talk to. I used to think I had a lot of friends, Charlie. People who would be by my side no matter what. And you know what I found out? They're those fair-weather friends we get warned about as kids. Every last one of them."

With a final snort of derision, Tyler headed down the stairs and heated water for his tea in the microwave while he packed the blue prints he'd worked so hard on. The timer beeped, and he tossed in a tea bag along with a healthy amount of sugar. He pulled his leftovers from the fridge, intending to eat a bit. His lip curled as he remembered how ill he'd become when he tried eating the night before, and decided against it. He'd eat when he got back home.

###########

Gibbs stalked carefully up to the car, taking note of the splattered blood on the windows. He tamped down his momentary fear and opened the door. At moments like these, he wished he'd not been such a hard ass. He hoped his last words to Tony wouldn't haunt him. He had enough ghosts already.

He opened the door and relaxed a little. Tony was sitting slumped forward, but he was obviously alive and staring at a gun. The younger agent looked up.

"I really liked him."

"Yeah, I can see that." Gibbs nearly head-slapped himself as his SFA looked back down at the gun.

"Wish he wouldn't have been the killer, Gibbs."

"I know." Gibbs reached out and patted Tony's shoulder awkwardly. "Come on, let's get you out of there, ok?"

"Why?" Tony's eyes held hurt. "Got another job?"

"No." Gibbs stared back at Tony. "Time to let you get home for a bit."

"Huh." Tony scoffed. "After killing a guy? You know the rules, Gibbs. I'll be mired in paperwork and IA investigation for the next three or four days."

"I'm not trying to pick a fight, DiNozzo."

"Strange. I remember you doing just that." Tony stalked over to where Ducky stood, asking the elderly ME to look at his neck as he walked.

"How bad is it, Duck?" Gibbs walked up to them.

"Thankfully, it's not deep, Jethro. While I hate to see neck wounds on any of our agents, these superficial ones do seem rather more of a painful nuisance than anything else."

"What he means, Boss, is that I'll live, but it'll be better if I don't move my head to much. Right, Ducky?"

"That is not exactly what I said, but in a word, yes. Keep from stretching the skin too much, and I do believe I can have you straight with only a few steri-strips."

"Good. No stiches." Tony smiled triumphantly.

"Just don't burst that open when you call Tyler." Gibbs handed Tony his phone.

"He called?" Tony thanked Ducky with a nod and followed after his boss, dialing the now-familiar number as he walked.

"Yeah. Sounded kinda down." Gibbs stopped and turned to Tony. "Maybe I should have given you some time off. Could be that you were right." He took a step closer. "But just remember to ask me things in private, and not challenge me in front of my team."

"Oh, are we on Animal Planet now?" Tony snarked. Gibbs grabbed the phone from his hand and closed it.

"No. We're in a federal agency and can't afford to let our personal lives interfere with our jobs."

"What do you mean by that? I asked for a lousy hour!" Tony was becoming angry.

"Talked to Tyer, Tony. Kid sounded sad. Would have taken you more than an hour, and we didn't have the time."

"When did you talk to him?"

"Once when you were in Panama, and once more a couple of days ago. You were off the grid, and he called me."

"Why?"

"To find out if you were home yet."

"_Gibbs."_

"_Hey, um, this is Tyler, Tony's friend?"_

"_Kinda busy here, kid. What do you need?"_

"_Is Tony home yet?"_

"_Working on it. I'll tell him you called." Gibbs clicked his phone shut. _

Tony dialed his friend's number once more, frowning when he didn't hear the answering machine come on. Tyler always left his machine on. Tony tried his cell next, and was disturbed to find that it had been disconnected.

"What's going on with you?"

"What's going on with whom, dear boy?" Ducky came over to Tony, the needed steri-strips in hand.

"Friend of mine. His answering machine isn't picking up, and his cell is disconnected. Not like him."

"Perhaps he's changing companies, Anthony. I know when I switched the company I use at home, Mother was left without the ability to call the restaurant down the road and order buckets of chicken wings." Ducky chuckled. "It was a relief to them, as they seemed to be a furniture store in actuality."

"Maybe, but something doesn't feel right."

"Ah, yes. The development of your own gut." Ducky nodded. "Perhaps it would be wiser to get some rest before taking off to find out the fate of your friend. You've had a rough two months."

##########

Director Morrow overrode Gibbs' approval of Tony to head straight home for some rest, stating that the paperwork and his statement needed to be completed right away to maintain "accuracy" in the reporting. Five hours later found Tony half asleep at his desk, jerking awake occasionally to type one more word before falling back to sleep.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked from his desk. "Grab your gear, and come with me. You're no good if you can't stay awake."

"Sorry, Boss. Just need…"

"To shut your mouth and come with me."

Tony nodded and picked up his go-bag. He wasn't entirely sure what Gibbs had in mind, but he hoped it either included a hot meal and loads of coffee, or the "guest" room at Gibbs' place. He wouldn't have minded his own bed, either, but he preferred Gibbs' guest room when he was this tired. There was something comforting about having someone else in the house.

Once they were in the elevator, Gibbs pulled out his phone and dialed. He waited, and then to Tony's surprise, ordered his favorite pizza to be delivered.

"What's goin' on, Boss?"

"Taking you home to get some sleep."

"Aw, gee, you do care." His head flew forward with a slight tap. "Shutting up, Boss."

Gibbs smirked as he listened to Tony's soft snoring as he turned onto his drive. He was relieved at his SIC still being alive, and that relief gave way to guilt. He really should have let him take that hour he'd requested. One hour probably wouldn't have mattered in the slightest.

"Come on, Tony, wake up."

"Just got comfortable." Tony's eyes didn't open.

"You've been so comfortable you've been snoring for five minutes. Pizza will be here soon. Come on."

"Fine." Tony opened his door and climbed out.

The men walked into Gibbs' sparsely furnished house, and Tony dropped his bag at the door, shucking his shoes moments after. He ambled over to Gibbs couch and sat, leaning his head back against the top.

Gibbs came in with two beers and smiled. He set the beers down and guided his sleeping agent to a more comfortable position. He'd barely gotten the afghan spread over the younger man when the doorbell rang. With a quick glance to see that Tony was still sleeping, Gibbs got the door, paying for the pizza and wishing the delivery man a good night.

He set the box in the kitchen and snagged a slice for himself before retrieving his beer. He knew Tony would sleep for a couple of hours now, and after he'd finished off the pizza, he'd likely sleep through the night, barring any nightmares.

Tomorrow would bring enough trouble. For now, his boy just needed to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. If wishes were fishes…

Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar, my fab beta who catches my mistakes.

Note: Just a quick reminder that I know that I have some plot "inconsistencies" just now, such as with the answering machine. I'll be endeavoring to fix those later with a conversation, cuz I have it in my head, but it didn't fit into this chapter. If I forget later on, please keep in mind that I'm missing a few brain cells. Literally.

#####

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, how can I help you?"

"Is this Tony? Tyler's friend, Tony? Oh, gosh. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. He's in the hospital, and I can't sign papers. He wanted me to call you. Are you his emergency contact or something?"

Tony frowned a bit and scrambled for some paper that wasn't involved with the case. "Yes, I am. What happened?"

"I don't know exactly." The woman took a deep breath, her low alto voice breaking. "He dropped some blueprints off to us earlier, and he just didn't look like himself, so I decided I'd check on him." Tony couldn't see her, but he could just imagine that she was frantic, perhaps mimicking Abby when he or Gibbs was hurt. "And, oh, he was, he was…"

"He was what?"

"He was passed out. I called 911, and he woke up a few minutes later. He was really upset, and then he asked me to call you. He said you may not give a shit. I hope you do. He was so sad. I got your number from his phone, and I'm calling."

"What hospital was that again?" While Tony took notes, he motioned to his boss that he was taking the lunch he'd skipped earlier. Gibbs just nodded. He'd only heard the last part of Tony's conversation, but his question had let Gibbs know it was important. He'd ask more questions later.

The Italian agent finished making his notes, gave a clipped farewell, along with a promise to get there as quickly as he could, and was practically running for the elevator.

"What's up?" Gibbs looked over to Tim, who was typing away, trying to get finished in time to drop his report on Gibbs' desk and make it to the date he'd asked Abby out on.

"Somebody named Tyler, Boss. Don't know anything else."

"Kid's in the hospital?"

"Apparently." Tim finally looked up. "Tony didn't say much. Just took notes, and is heading over there. You caught most of what he said, actually. Anybody I ought to know?"

"Only if you remember murder cases, McGee. Kids' husband got killed a year ago. Going for coffee." Kate and Tim shared a confused glance. She shrugged.

"We can't remember everybody, Tim. Lots of murders."

"I guess, but the boss seems pretty pissed."

"He always seems pissed, Tim."

###########

"I'm here to see Tyler Stevens-Boggs." Tony flashed his badge at the receptionist's desk.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Are you friend or family?"

"Emergency contact."

"Let me connect you with a nurse on that floor." Tony sighed and leaned against the counter. Sometimes these HIPPA privacy laws were a pain in the ass.

A quick phone call later, and he was headed up to the Intensive Care Unit. It seemed that Tyler was awake, and even if not really with it, had expressed his desire to see Tony. He could hear the voice he'd spoken with over the phone emanating from the room, and had to school his features to not show his shock at the harsh contrast between his mental picture and the real person.

"Hey, man." Tony walked through the door, and nearly winced at the emaciated figure lying in the bed.

"Hey." Tyler gave a half smile, but he didn't try to make it look real. It was some sort of formality. His version of "I'm ok."

"How, uh...how are you doing?" Tony knew he sounded stupid, even to himself.

"I'm ok."

"No, he's not." The well-built, tall African American woman who stood by his bed pursed her lips. "He's totally not ok."

"Thanks for checking on him." Tony offered the woman a smile. "My name's Tony."

"I'm Victoria, it's nice to meet you, but I'm sorry it's here."

Tony sat next to Tyler, looking into the younger man's face. "What happened?"

"I dunno." Tyler sounded worse than he looked, if that was possible. His voice was raspy, as if his throat was dry and hadn't been moistened in quite some time.

"Want a drink? It may help your throat some."

"No." Tyler shook his head a bit. "Makes me sick."

"Water's making you sick?"

"Yeah." Tony looked around, hoping for some beverage he could relieve the man's throat with. Ah. Glycerin swabs. Tyler was worse off than he'd first realized.

Victoria watched closely as Tony lifted one of the swabs. Tony glanced over at her, and decided that yes, she was a larger version of Abby, right down to the navy blue steam punk blouse and the maroon antiquated skirt. The only thing she was missing was a tattoo and an umbrella. Tony glanced over again, and decided she didn't need the umbrella, as she sported a small lacy cap high on her curls.

"Have you been eating?" Tyler shook his head as Tony raised a swab to the young man's lips. "Here, open up a bit. We'll get your lips moist a bit, ok?"

"You told me you'd been eating, Tyler." Victoria took the young man's hand in hers. "You should have talked to me, Sweetie."

Tyler did as Tony asked, his face reddening as he opened his mouth. He closed his eyes, obviously wanting to escape his friends' caring gazes.

"Talk to me, Ty. What's going on?"

"I don't know." Tyler sounded hopeless. "I just don't feel like eating, and I forget to drink, and then, I don't know. I took some blueprints to the office, went back home, and…" he shrugged. "I woke up here."

"Well, I'm glad Victoria checked in on you." Tony finished wiping the inside of Tyler's mouth with the swab. "Do you want me to call your in-laws?"

"Tony, I…" Tyler looked down. "I don't know. I don't think they want to talk to me anymore. They haven't called."

"Did you guys have a falling out?" Tony was slightly confused. They normally talked at least once a week. At least, as far as Tony knew, it was really just Sharon, but the calls were weekly.

"No." Tyler sighed. "I called, and they were busy. Jeff said he'd call back, but he never did. I think it's hard on them."

"I can understand that." Tony patted Tyler's arm. "Maybe they were waiting for you to call?"

"Doubt it." Tyler's eyes remained downcast. "No one wants to talk to me anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" Tyler shifted uncomfortably. Tony relented. "I'm sorry, Bud. I'd have been around, but first I was out of the country, and then I had…"

"It's ok, Tony." He finally lifted his eyes and met Tony's gaze. "I know you weren't able to call."

"No, but it still doesn't make it right. I'm sorry you've been alone." He paused a moment, and then looked to the tall woman on the other side of his friends' bed. "Thanks for checking on him."

"I'm so sorry." Victoria wiped at a fresh onslaught of tears. "I should have kept up with you better."

"I've been a pain." Tyler's voice was so quiet they barely heard him.

"No, you've been hurting, and I let you down. I'm so sorry."

Tony cleared his throat, wanting to move the conversation along. He figured these two could probably play the "No, it's my fault" game for hours.

"I really think you should call Jeff and Sharon, Tyler."

"They're not going to want to…"

"How about I call?" Tyler shrugged and nodded.

"Sure. I don't know where my stuff is, though."

"Let me take a look." Tony smiled easily at him.

He found Tyler's phone easily enough in the bedside table and scrolled through, looking for the Boggs' number. He dialed on his own phone, wanting the element of the unknown, just in case they were angry with his friend. Tony needed these folks to answer. Tyler needed to know, if nothing else.

"_Boggs residence."_

"Sharon Boggs? Hi. My name is Tony, and I'm calling regarding your son-in-law, Tyler."

"_What happened now?"_ She sounded worn.

"Well, for starters, he's in the hospital." Tony was too tired to fight the urge to be snarky. "I'm sorry if I've caught you at a bad time. I'll try again later."

"_What hospital?"_

Tony relayed the pertinent information and scowled as she hung up.

"Well, she knows your room number and the address."

"Great. So tomorrow, I can expect flowers." He leaned back against his pillow and sighed heavily. "Thanks for coming, Tony." He swallowed hard. "I wasn't sure…

"I told ya before, Tyler, I've got your six."

"I hate to do this, Tyler, but I have to go back to the Center. We're having our quarterly business meeting, and it's sort of my job to take notes." Victoria ducked her head. "I'm so sorry to leave. I really am." Tyler reached out and took her hand into his.

"It's ok, really, it is. Thanks for checking up on me."

"I'm just sorry I didn't do it before." She kissed his cheek quickly and then held out her hand to Tony. "It was nice to meet you. Thanks so much for coming so quickly. He needs more friends like you."

"Don't forget, you're the one who…"

"Who didn't do a good enough job of checking on him." Victoria castigated herself. "Yes, I showed up today, but where have I been the last few weeks? You, Tony, have been out of town."

########

An hour passed, and the phone next to Tyler's bed rang. Tony picked up the receiver and greeted the caller. He nodded once, and then handed the phone over.

"H…hello?" Tyler spoke quietly, as if afraid of the instrument he held.

"Tyler?" Sharon's voice came softly through the line. That's all it took for the dam to break. Tony watched helplessly as Tyler curled into a ball, tears running down his face as he sobbed.

For a moment, Tony was at a complete loss, but then it seemed that common sense pushed his brain out of the way. He found himself standing by Tyler's side, stroking the younger man's hair and whispering that he'd be ok. When he heard the disembodied voice coming from the cell ask Tyler to hand the phone back, he took it and put it to his own ear.

"This is Tony."

"I've got a flight, and will be there in about five hours. Any chance you could stay with him for some of that time? I know you need to get back to work, but…"

"Just need to finish typing up a report, and unless we get a case, I'll be out by 5:30." Tony looked at his watch. "I'll call my boss now and let him know I'll be a little late getting back from lunch."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Don't mention it. Sometimes, we all need a friend." Tony looked down at Tyler, only to discover that he'd already fallen asleep. He shook his head slightly before hitting number two on his speed-dial.

"Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss. I'm here with Tyler. He's not doing so hot. I'll be back in to finish my report pretty soon. We got any new cases?"

"Nope."

"Ok, see you in a few." Tony was surprised when the line didn't immediately go dead.

"He ok?"

"No, he's not." Tony sighed as he sat back down. "You should see him, Boss. He's not been eating, he's not been drinking; he's a mess. I mean, he was thin before, but now, he's…" Tony swallowed hard. "You know those pictures of starving people? He looks like one of them."

"Well, then get your ass back here, so you can get back there. We're off rotation this weekend."

"Thanks, Boss."

Twenty minutes later, Gibbs smirked to himself as Tony flew through typing up his report, using skills he'd long hidden from his teammates. Why he pretended to be inept was beyond the senior agent, but he had to admit that being underestimated had helped Tony more than once.

"Get outta here." Gibbs accepted the report he was sure would be complete and without errors. Tony nodded, his mind already back in the hospital room he was headed to.

The silver-haired agent watched the younger man leave, a smirk on his face. It was about time Tony found someone. Tyler wasn't ready for a relationship, but then again, neither was Tony. Gibbs wondered if they'd heal together, or if they'd hurt one another more.

##########

"You're actually going?" Jeff stood in the door of their bedroom, a frown etched into his features.

"Yes." Sharon stared him down. "I have no idea what goes on in your head, Jeff, but none of this is Tyler's fault, and punishing him for things isn't going to…"

"His father killed our son, dammit!" Jeff roared as he crossed the room, towering over his wife. "Or have you forgotten?"

"No, I haven't forgotten, Jeffery." Sharon kept her voice calm, wishing her husband had never started drinking to ease his pain. "I also haven't forgotten a young child who came to stay with us for long weekends, or who would eat with us at least once a week. I've not forgotten guiding Tyler through the trials of his first menstrual cycle when his parents wouldn't answer his questions, and helping him to find dresses when he went through that brief period of wondering if he'd rather be a girl. I've not forgotten anything, Sweetheart."

Jeff just stared at her for several minutes before heading back down the stairs and out the door. She wondered if he'd still be around when she got back home.

#######

"Hey, you're awake again." Tony smiled at Tyler as he entered the room. "Sorry to be gone so long. Had to finish up some stuff at work." The younger man eyed him suspiciously.

"Why are you here?"

"Besides being your friend and worrying about you being in the hospital?" Tony shrugged. "Sharon called, and she's coming, but you know that." Tyler nodded. "Why'd I come back?" Another nod. "I remember how I felt when my girlfriend, Wendy, left me. I was angry, confused, hurt." Tony shrugged. "It's a scary time, and I guess that maybe I'm here because I know a bit of how hard it is." They were quiet for a moment. "I forgot that it's a year, man. Those reminders and anniversaries are the hardest. I should have checked in on you."

Tyler seemed to ignore his last comments. "Why'd she leave you?"

"The ring wasn't big enough." Tyler's eyes flew wide.

"That's it?"

"That's the reason she gave. I think she had this idea that since my father was rich, that I am, too. She expected a boulder, and I gave her a pebble."

"She shouldn't have done that."

"No, I agree."

The two sat for a bit, not knowing what else to say. An orderly stepped in with a container of jello, and gave Tyler a half-smile.

"Time to try again, kiddo." The man was nearly fifty, and had a teasing, comfortable air about him.

"I threw up soda."

"Yeah, but not all of it. Doctor's orders. He wants you to try a bite or two." At the mutinous look on Tyler's face, he spoke again. "The sooner you start eating and drinking, the sooner you're gonna be off of that IV."

"I'm not hungry." Tyler turned pleading eyes to Tony, as if the agent could save him.

"Don't look at me. I'll just call Gibbs, and he'll call Ducky. You know what those two are like." With a resigned sigh, Tyler picked up a small bite of jello and swallowed it.

Just as Tony was about to breathe a sigh of relief only five minutes later, Tyler began to heave. Tony reached over and grabbed one of the blue bags from the dispenser on the wall and held it under the younger man's mouth just in time. He pressed the call button, summoning a nurse as Tyler continued to vomit. The man was having dry heaves, and by the time the nurse arrived, had tears flowing freely down his face as he continued heaving.

"Oh, that's no fun." She held out a new bag for Tony, and the two quickly traded bags, letting her write down how much Tyler had lost while Tony was at the ready just in case something actually made its way up the young man's esophagus.

"Can he have anything for nausea?" Tony asked quietly.

"The doctor hadn't wanted to give him anything earlier, but let me see what we can get."

"And maybe some ginger ale? Got any that's really cold?"

"If he's not keeping…"

"Maybe a few drops at a time would help him at least not have the dry's, right?"

"Let's see if he can have anything for nausea first." She breezed out of the door, leaving no doubt in their minds that she'd hurry.

Tony knew it wasn't long, but for Tyler, it felt like an eternity, before she came back in with a syringe.

"This is an anti-nausea medication, Zofran. It's pretty potent, and should help in just a few minutes." She waited for Tyler to nod his approval before shooting the dose into his IV port. She took another needleless syringe filled with saline and flushed the medicine through the line.

"That should help." She smiled as she reset the call button on the wall. "If you need anything else, just ring, ok?" With that, she was gone.

"Well, it's room service, but I'm not sure I'm crazy about their service." Tyler smiled at Tony's attempt at a joke. "So, you see any good movies lately?"

"Not really." Tyler shook his head slightly. "Haven't felt like doing much of anything."

"Yeah, I get that." They were quiet for a moment. "You want to hear about one I watched this last weekend?"

"Sure."

"Well, as a fellow fan of old movies, I'm sure you'll appreciate that Jimmy Stewart happens to be one of my favorites."

"I love me some Jimmy." Tyler smiled. "Which one of his movies did you watch?"

"Harvey."

A gentle smile graced Tyler's features as he lay back onto his pillow. The bed was set nearly half-way up, so he was at an angle that was good for his still-settling stomach.

"Years ago, my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "Elwood, you must be", she always called me Elwood, you see, she'd say, "In this life Elwood, you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant." Well, for years, I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me." He sighed happily. "I've not watched that movie in months."

"Still know the lines, though."

"Yeah." Tyler closed his eyes. "It's hard to forget Harvey."

"Sure is." Tony went on to quote several other well-known and loved phrases from the movie, earning a quiet laugh when Tyler joined him in finishing the quote of "How are you, Mr. Wilson? Who in the encyclopedia wants to know that?"

"What about Destry Rides Again?" Tony laughed. He took on a fake western accent.

"Do you mean the movie with the line of "Oh, I think I'll stick around. Y'know, I had a friend who collected stamps. He always said the one good thing about a postage stamp: it always sticks to one thing until it gets there, y'know? I'm kinda like that."

"Yes, but you have to admit, that the best line he ever said, just because it was so strange to hear it coming from his mouth, was in Rear Window."

"That whole movie was odd." Tony laughed, wondering what line Tyler meant.

"C'mon. You mean you didn't find it more than a little odd when J B Jeff Jefferies said, "That would be a terrible job to tackle. Just how would you start to cut up a human body?" Tyler could barely finish his sentence, as he'd dissolved into very unmanly giggles.

Tony laughed right along with him, pleased that he'd been able to get his companion to cheer up, even for the moment. He waited until Tyler settled, and turned serious, or at least semi-serious. He raised an eyebrow, then lowered it, and in his best Jimmy Stewart voice said,

"Now, Mr. Stevens, I hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but I need to ask you how your stomach is."

"Pretty good, but I'd rather have Harvey ask me that question." Tyler snickered.

"I'm sorry, but he's visiting his mother." Tony kept his face somber for a fraction of a second before laughing. "Ok, ok, I left him with the shrink, but seriously, you need to take another bite of jello if you think you're up to it."

"Fine." Tyler glared at Tony. "So long as you promise to let me see Harvey as _soon_ as he gets back from Akron."

"Anything you say." Tyler took a small bite of the jello, and sat back, his shoulders tense. Tony began joking again, and distracted Tyler enough that he was able to keep that one small bite down.

"It's been ten minutes." Tony winked. "Try another bite?"

"Slave driver."

"Eat, or I'll start quoting Wylie Burp." Tyler grinned as Tyler crossed his arms. "Is that a dare?"

"I don't think you can actually quote anything from _any_ Fievel movie." He motioned for Tony to proceed. "Go right ahead. You quote Wylie Burp, and I'll eat."

"Just remember Fievel – one man's sunset is another man's dawn. I don't know what's out there beyond those hills. But if you ride yonder… head up, eyes steady, heart open… I think one day you'll find you're the hero you've been looking for."

"Gah!" Tyler picked up the container and spooned out another small bite. "Got me. Now I know who to _not_ issue movie challenges to."

"Got that straight." Tony watched Tyler chew and swallow the semi-solid lump. "Love me some movies."

"Yeah, I got that." Tyler sat back, his eyes drifting shut. "Damn, I'm tired."

"Want me to put your head down a bit?"

"No." Tyler pressed a hand to his stomach. "A little queasy again."

"Ok, well, just rest your eyes, then. I'm not going anywhere, ok?"

"'K." Moments later, his breathing was even and quiet. Tony stood and stretched. He pulled out his phone and stepped into the hall. He was starting to get worried about Sharon. She should have been there an hour ago.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sharon?"

"Is this Tony?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I was just calling to check on you."

"Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he's just fallen back to sleep. I got worried, but didn't want to say anything in front of him. You ok?"

"I just pulled in. The flight was delayed, and then the idiots at the rental company didn't have the car I'd rented online, so I had to wait for a replacement. Why they rent cars they don't have, I'll never know."

"I'm glad that's all. He'll be happy to see you."

"Thanks for staying with him."

"No problem. It was fun." Tony smiled as he heard Sharon voice her opinion on that remark.

It took ten minutes for her to travel from the parking lot to Tyler's room. She stood in the hall and watched as Tony pulled the blanket higher up on her son-in-law's chest. There was no doubt that Tony had softened the blow of just now bad Tyler was. Sharon felt heavy, realizing that she should have called and just dealt with Jeff's temper when she was done. The man was always angry now, anyhow.

The half cup of jello was a welcome sight, and the nearly-empty IV bag told her that he was at least getting fluids back. Tony noticed her and smiled brightly. He walked to the door.

"He's not sleeping soundly, so you can probably get him awake if you want to. I know he wants to see you."

"Let him sleep." Sharon looked at her boy. "He's so thin."

"He just stopped eating." Tony shrugged. "He wasn't trying to die, but he'd given up on living."

"Thanks for staying with him." She hugged herself. "I should have called. But Jeff…"

"Tyler was concerned that he'd done something to make you two upset. So he didn't want to call. I guess Jeff was pretty testy the last time Tyler called." Sharon simply nodded. "Have you eaten yet?"

"You don't have to feed me, Tony." Sharon's voice was quiet.

"No, but I figure that hospital food is pretty nasty stuff. I'm thinking Chinese. Got any favorite dishes?"

"Wonton soup." The tired voice shocked them both.

"You up for that?" Tony returned to his friends' side, lifting the bed up a bit.

"If you're eating Chinese food in my room, you're getting me wonton soup."

"Yes, sir." Once he had everyone's orders, Tony headed out.

Sharon smiled softly down at Tyler and placed a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you back." She took a deep breath and began to explain the changes in her husband, and why he wasn't there.

"He doesn't drink." Tyler looked confused.

"He started to, saying that it helped him deal with Charlie."

"He blames me, doesn't he?" Sharon choked back a sob, even as she nodded.

#########

"He's pretty bad, Gibbs." Tony sighed as he filled his friend in on the younger man. "He's just sort of given up. I got him laughing earlier, but, well, you know what it's like."

"Yeah, I do." Gibbs put his sander down. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. Gonna pick up some dinner for everyone and get it back there. Then I'll head out."

"Dinner, huh?"

"Yeah. Jeff's not here, and Sharon's not wanting to leave Tyler's side. Victoria, one of Tyler's friends, she's the one who found him, had to leave to go to a meeting. Hospital food just seems cruel tonight." Gibbs chuckled. He'd have to agree with that statement, no matter the circumstances.

"You gonna need bourbon and a boat tonight, Tony?"

"Probably." Tony chuckled. "I threatened him with you and Ducky tonight."

"You did what?" Gibbs laughed outright.

"Told him that if he didn't eat a bite of jello, I'd call in you and Ducky to make him."

"Now that's just mean." Tony guffawed.

"Give him a few more weeks, another cookout, and he'll know you're not as mean as you seem."

"Don't let my image slip, Tony. I need it." With a smirk, he hung up, leaving Tony laughing as he unlocked his car.

It didn't take Tony long to pick up the food he'd ordered and return to the room. He set the bags down with a dramatic flair as he announced noticing that Tyler had a new IV bag going.

"Yeah. They gave me more. Said that two bites of jello and a few sips of ginger ale weren't enough. Something about my body needing more." Tyler had brightened considerably. He still looked like hell, but his eyes were brighter, and Tony could see his relief at Sharon's arrival. The sadness lurking in his eyes concerned Tony, but he figured when Tyler was ready to speak, he would.

"Probably gonna stick you with your new friend tomorrow, too, if I know these crazies." Tony grinned as a nurse walked in. She rolled her eyes.

"Anthony DiNozzo, you mean I have to put up with you every time you get blown up, and now I need to deal with you healthy?" She wagged her head. "Lord have mercy."

"Not all night, at least." He winked at her playfully. "I know you'd keep your threat of knocking me out with some unimaginable mix of drugs that it would take years to sort out."

"You got that right, Sugar." She swatted his arm as she passed. "You try to escape so many times, that next time, if you so much as move, I'm gonna tie you to the bed."

"Now that sounds promising." Tyler dissolved into giggles once more, and she leveled her gaze at him.

"I like you, young man, so let me give you some advice." Tyler tried to straighten his face. "Don't be like him. No running down the hall in a hospital gown, no trying to talk the pretty nurses into bed baths that you don't need, and please, in the name of all that's holy, don't tell me that Gibbs is your next of kin."

"No, he's not, but he may come to visit, Ma'am."

"Honey, you need to make yourself some new friends." She patted his leg while Tony grinned, completely unrepentant for any disturbances he may have caused the hospital. "But in the meanwhile," her voice stayed the same soft timbre, but she turned serious. "You drink as you can, and eat a little. That soup may smell good, but remember to not have too much at once, ok? Just a few sips at a time. No more getting sick, ok?" Tyler nodded, tears welling in his eyes again.

"And just to remind you, this is a hospital." She leveled her gaze at Tony. "Is he under NCIS protection?"

"Nope."

"Then you've got twenty minutes to have your butt out of here, Mr. DiNozzo. He may be feeling better, but he's still sick." She turned to Sharon. "I can only let you stay until 9. I'm sorry."

Tony started to argue, but Sharon put her hand on his arm. He looked to Tyler and nodded. The kid needed happiness, not frustration.

"Guess we'd better eat then." Sharon picked up a container, conveniently marked with her name. "I still need to make hotel reservations."

"No need." Tony popped a piece of Gen. Tso's chicken into his mouth, speaking around it. "I'm going to a friend's house tonight. You can crash at my place."

"That's too much, Tony. You don't have to leave…"

"I'm not gonna be there anyway." Tony shrugged. "I actually go to my boss's house about once a month, and we hang out. I've been busy with cases for a few months, and I figured I'd take some down time. He has a boat in his basement, and I take out my frustrations from work by sanding for hours. It's Friday, and there's a bottle of beer and a shot of bourbon with my name on them, lively man that I am."

"I'm sorry, Tony." Tyler suddenly looked upset. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"You had plans, and…"

"Hey!" Tony set his container down and went to Tyler's side. "Yeah, I had plans. But I told Gibbs that I'd not be by until later. He's not here only because he knows he'd create havoc. He's asked about you twice since we got the call about you. He never asks about anyone. So don't worry about it, ok? You're more important than a boat. Believe me."

Tyler didn't look completely convinced, but Tony knew he'd done his best. When the younger man set his soup down, it was as if he'd lost his ability to feel emotion. The very air in the room had changed. Tony felt like a heel.

"Besides, Tyler," Tony cleared his throat, once again adopting his Jimmy Stewart persona, "I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with." Tyler smiled slightly.

"Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd, in Harvey, 1950."

Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Great. I'm stuck with two of them." Tyler slowly took another sip of his soup.

###########

Gibbs heard the creak of his front door, followed by the carefully measured steps of his now-shoeless SIC. The basement door opened slowly, and the younger man walked down most of the way, flopping tiredly on the second to the last step.

"How's Tyler?"

"He'll be ok." Tony took a long drink. "Shoulda checked on him, Boss."

"Maybe." Gibbs kept sanding. "Maybe he needed to reach this point."

"You ever get that low?" Gibbs set down his sanding block.

"Nope. But that's because I had work. He's self-employed. No one to push him." Tony nodded, taking another drink of his beer.

"Boss, what if he's not able to get back from this? I mean, he's bad. Really bad."

"You said he was awake? Talking?"

"Yeah."

"Get him to eat more than a bite or two of that slop they call jello?"

"Yeah. He had some soup." Gibbs nodded.

"He got a reason to live?"

"Not sure." Tony stood and crossed the basement, picking up his sanding block. "Got him laughing at least."

"Sometimes that's all it takes, DiNozzo."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or anything associated with it. I just use the characters and put them back. *sigh*

Author's Note: Thanks again to Headbanger Rockstar, my wonderful, patient "this needs attention" beta! Love you!

And another Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has favorited or followed this story! I appreciate it! To the guest reviewers, as well, thanks. :)

#######

Tony woke early the next morning, folded the blanket and laid it over the back of Gibbs' couch, just like he'd done countless times before. It was time for breakfast, and he knew just the thing. Maybe.

Tyler'd done pretty good with the wonton soup, and had even managed to keep down a bite of Sharon's rice. Yes, he'd needed a lot of anti-nausea stuff, but he needed to eat. So now it was time to try something a little tastier.

He trotted down the stairs and told Gibbs that he was leaving. He received a nod in reply, and was out the door moments later. A quick trip to the grocery store, and he was ready for a day at the hospital.

Across town, Tyler was already wishing he could be gone. Not only had breakfast been a few swallows of tasteless oatmeal that he was trying to keep down, but now he had to talk to a social worker. He'd never had to do this before, and was finding it difficult to get her to understand that he'd not meant to kill himself. He'd just stopped eating and drinking, not really thinking of the consequences.

Tony stepped from the elevator, confused as to why Sharon was leaning against the wall outside of Tyler's room.

"Problems?"

"No." Sharon grimaced. "Social worker."

"Oh, yes." Tony rolled his eyes. "They think he was attempting suicide?"

"Of course." Sharon ran her hands through her short hair. "He's trying to explain that he's not suicidal. He just stopped taking care of himself."

"Well, it will be a little hard to explain." Tony shrugged at the glare Sharon sent him. "He has admitted to not eating in nearly a week, and he's dehydrated, and can't remember the last time he drank. That's not gonna look good."

"But can't they see the effort he's making now?"

"He has to make it now." Tony spoke as gently as he could. "He's in the hospital. He's got to obey, or he'll only have to stay longer. They're worried not just about now, but about later, when he's out."

"By accusing him of trying to kill himself?"

"He wasn't exactly trying to keep himself alive." Tony shrugged.

"I hate that you make a good point, Tony."

"But he's going to be fine, and that's the thing we all have to remember." Sharon nodded, not sure that she liked the agent injecting himself so firmly into their family, but she had to admit that his presence was comforting, especially since her husband hadn't even answered his phone the two times she'd tried to call.

Tony passed her one of the donuts he'd brought along with a small bottle of kefir. Silence fell among them as they chewed. Sharon drew in a breath to speak when Tyler's voice rang out clearly.

"No! That's not it! Would you just listen to me?" The young man sounded ten nerves past annoyed.

"I am listening."

"No, you're not." Tony opened the door.

"Need someone in here?"

"This is a private conversation." The social worker smiled sweetly.

"Sure. That's why he's getting all mad that you're not listening." He moved to stand in the door. "Maybe I'll just stay. That ok, Tyler?"

"More than ok." His friend looked relieved.

"So what's going on?"

"Well, we were just discussing why he was..."

"She wants to know why I'm suicidal, and if it has anything to do with my," he held up his fingers, making air quotes, "transition."

Tony looked at Sally, not believing that a trained and supposedly qualified social worker hadn't heard of intersexed people. He wondered briefly if Tyler called himself a hermaphrodite if she'd know the term. However, he knew that the term wasn't one anyone liked, and Tyler was no exception.

"People often experience confusion and emotional turmoil if they decide that they're not happy with their transition, or if they transition too quickly."

"I've not transitioned, lady." Tyler was losing his cool. "Look. I was born this way, ok? I was born with a uterus, two ovaries. You following so far?" Sally nodded, not pleased with how she was being spoken to. "Good. Along with those girl parts, I was _also_ born with two testicles and a dick, ok? Boy parts, girl parts, I got 'em all." He raised his hands helplessly. "Transitioning? I did that in my teen years, when I hit puberty. Started my period, grew chest hair, got a beard and boobs. So drop the transitioning thing, ok?"

Sally opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off again. "I identify as a gay man. I can see how that'd confuse you." She simply nodded. "I can fit into the gay community. They don't have issues with me. The transgendered community?" Another nod. "A lot of them are actually jealous, and I don't like to deal with that. Sometimes that jealousy comes out with really cutting comments. I'm not into that. So I tell everyone that I'm gay."

"And how does this factor into your life?"

"Easy." Tyler sighed. Maybe she was finally getting that his body had nothing to do with his current emotional state. ""I identify as a gay man because that gives me the most 'normal' life possible. You see, I can piss standing up, but I can't get a hard on, and when I have sex I prefer it with my girl parts. So that makes me not really gay, but not really straight, either. And you know what? I'm ok with that."

"So what brought you to this point?"

"My husband died." Tyler's voice broke, and out in the hall, Sharon sniffled quietly, while Tony looked up to the ceiling. He couldn't imagine the pain Tyler was going through. "He was murdered a little over a year ago, then my mother was murdered, and the best part? I found out that my father was behind it all. No, not intentionally, but he was playing big-time drug courier, and got into debt. Trying to hurt him, they started to kill his family." Sally was making notes furiously. "The worst part? He didn't care. Not really."

"Are you currently taking any medications, Tyler?" Sally's tone was soft, and Tony's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you on any anti-depressants, anti-psychotic..."

"I'm not crazy!" He pushed the tray that had been across his lap away, struggling to sit all the way up.

"Excuse me." Tony's face was stormy. "Ma'am, I think you need to check facts before you start with something that isn't your job. After all, you're a social worker, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you're not someone who needs to be asking after his medications, or are you from mental health?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, let me tell you a few things." Tony pulled out his badge. "I can verify everything he just told you. His husband was indeed murdered on the very day of their marriage. I arrested his father and he is currently awaiting trial. Now, either set up appointments that will be good for him, such as getting a nutritionist to help him get back to health, a therapist to help him deal with grief and depression, or he and his mother-in-law, who is just outside in the hall, will be on the lookout for a new social worker, and I'll be making a report of your… shall I say lack of understanding and need for new listening skills?"

Sally stammered for a moment before turning back to Tyler.

"I'm sorry, Tyler. Um, since you're not really a gay man, and you're not a woman, how should I address you in my notes?"

"I identify myself as a homosexual man, Sally. That's how you should refer to me. I'm a man."

Tony nodded his approval as he stepped back into the hall. He didn't realize his hands were shaking until he reached for the bag Sharon held out to him.

"I'm sorry." He spoke softly. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Why, Tony?" Sharon's voice was equally soft. "Why'd you do that?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess it was listening to the crap she was putting him through. Reminded me…"

"Reminded you?"

"Yeah." Tony swallowed hard, fully intending to speak, when he felt the sudden urge to run. The sudden urge to be anywhere but _there_. "Excuse me."

Sharon watched with confusion as Tony all but ran for the elevator. He pushed the button and bounced on the balls of his feet while waiting for the doors to open. As soon as they began to part, he was stepping through, his need to get away nearly painful to watch.

Sharon was left wondering just what she'd said to upset him so badly.

#########

Gibbs heard his door slam, and tracked the footsteps through his house. They started to head to the kitchen, but then stopped. He heard the steps retrace, and waited for the basement door to open. Five minutes later, when there'd been no retreat from said door, and no opening of it either, Gibbs went up to investigate.

Gibbs twisted the knob and pushed, surprised at the slight weight on the door.

"Tony? Gotta move, kiddo." He heard Tony shuffle away from the door, and he opened it slowly to match his friends' steps. Once he was able to get through the door, he leaned against the same wall Tony was up against. "What's up?"

"I messed up, Gibbs. Like, big time, messed up." His hands were still trembling slightly, yet his face retained a worrisome pallor.

"Yeah? How so?"

"Tyler was talking to the social worker, and she was just being…"

"A social worker?"

"Yeah, I mean, she wasn't listening, and he was trying to explain, and then when he started to talk about the day Charlie died, and how his mom was killed, she started to ask about what anti-psychotics he was on."

"So what did you do?"

"I kinda told her off."

"Kinda, or did?"

"Oh, I did. In such a big way that Sharon asked me what I thought I was doing."

Gibbs pushed off from the wall and headed to his beloved coffee pot.

"Why _did_ you do it, Tony?"

"I'm not sure."

"Yeah, ya are." Gibbs prodded gently as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He held an empty cup up to Tony, who nodded.

"She reminded me of when I'd talk to therapists as a kid." He looked down at his feet. "They always thought I was lying, or they were paid to say that they didn't believe me. I'm not sure which. But she reminded me of all of those people. And I just sort of lost it. I couldn't sit back and watch, Boss. I couldn't."

Tony waited for Gibbs to speak, and when he didn't, the younger man began to panic.

"I'm sorry." He felt like he'd said that phrase more in the last hour than he'd said in the past year. "I shouldn't have come. I…"

"Need to sit your ass down, Tony." Gibbs nodded to the table. "Come on, not gonna bite. Sit down."

"Boss…"

"Sit, Tony." Tony pulled out the chair before him and sat, staring into the coffee Gibbs had set before him. While getting his thoughts in order, Gibbs pulled out the sugar and creamer he kept on hand. He watched as the younger man poured in a bit of creamer, stirred in sugar, and took a sip, all as if on auto-pilot.

"You did the right thing, Tony." Gibbs watched as his boy puffed out his cheeks, as if blowing out a huge breath of relief. "Sometimes the right thing may not make much sense, but it's still the right thing."

"Yeah, but I think I stepped in it big."

"Maybe, but then again, so did I when I didn't answer his questions or let you take time off when you asked." Gibbs shrugged. "I can't change that now, but what would have happened if you'd not stepped in today?"

"I don't know." Tony thumped his head against the table.

"Yeah, you do. What always happened to you?"

"Got put on medications for problems I didn't have."

"That's right. And you didn't get the help you needed. So, by going off on her, you helped Tyler."

Tony picked his head back up, as if suddenly realizing that. He looked mildly confused for a moment before a tentative smile broke out on his face.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

##############

Barely an hour later, Tony stepped off of the elevator once again, this time with Gibbs at his side. The older man wanted to check in with Tyler, and lend him another arm of support, while also ensuring that any censure that may come from Tony's outburst wouldn't leave the younger man stranded and unsure.

Gibbs figured that if he were there, and Tony wasn't wanted, it would be easier for Tony to leave. He needn't have worried. Sharon was ready to call Tony, hoping the younger man was ok. His fear following his speech to Sally had left her worried, and she'd taken a liking to the young man.

"Tony!" Sharon rushed down the hall, stopping just before the agent. "Are you ok? You left so fast. I didn't mean to upset you, I guess I was just confused as to why you'd step in the way you did."

"I'm ok, and I'm sorry I left." Tony smiled. "Guess I needed to deal with a ghost from my own past." He shrugged. "Had to deal with a few social workers when I was a kid, and well, she was getting to me."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"How's Tyler?" Tony desperately wanted to get the conversation away from him.

"He's asleep." Sharon looked to Gibbs. "Hello, Agent, wait, is it Hub?"

"Gibbs." Jethro smirked. He'd been called worse. "How are you?"

"We're doing alright." Sharon smiled brightly. "Tony's been such a God-send these last few hours. Thank you for letting him leave work early to come over here."

"No problem. He still got his work done." There was a beat, and then he spoke again. "If Tyler's sleeping, why don't we all step down to the cafeteria? I'm sure everyone needs some lunch. I know I do."

"Is it that late already?" Sharon looked at her watch. "Oh, my goodness, it is. Do you really think I should leave him?" She nervously bit her finger nail, but agreed to go with them after a little more coaxing.

Before long, they were all headed down to the cafeteria. Sharon filled Tony in on the last bit of food Tyler had eaten, which was nothing more than two soda crackers and a small container of jello.

Lunch was relaxed and enjoyable, and to Tony's surprise, Gibbs didn't look for a reason to run off at the first convenient moment. An hour after they'd descended to the basement where the cafeteria was, the trio re-entered the elevator. They all felt easier in their spirits about the man who had brought them together, and Gibbs stated that he'd take off once he told Tyler he'd be back in a day or so to check in on him again.

"Don't wanna totally crowd the kid."

"He'll be happy to see you, Agent Gibbs. Thanks again for coming." Sharon smiled at her new friend.

"Sure thing. Not sure how I'd handle it if it were Tony."

"You two are close, huh?" Sharon was trying to make out their relationship. They were certainly closer than most employee/boss partnerships would be.

"Yeah, he's my kid." Gibbs shook Tony's shoulder slightly. "Proud of him."

The doors opened to a quiet hospital floor, where it seemed everyone was asleep or watching television. Tyler was no exception. The nurse who was changing his IV bag informed them that he'd been asleep the whole time they were gone.

"How many more IV's will he have?"

"That'll depend on him." The nurse smiled. "He's doing better all of the time, but he's not able to keep down enough. The drip is pretty slow, but he's not ready to fly solo yet."

"Thanks." Sharon smiled softly.

"Guess I'll take off, then." Gibbs spoke quietly, not wanting to wake Tyler. "Let him know I was here?"

"Yes, I'll let him know." Sharon turned to Tony. "Are you taking off, too?"

"Thought I'd stick around, if that's ok?"

Gibbs walked back to the elevator alone, pleased with the knowledge that his friend had a purpose, at least for the weekend. If he knew Tony, the young man had found his purpose for the next few months. Tyler would need support. With hope and a bit of luck, both of the men would find peace and healing.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Author's Notes: One of my guest reviewers had some constructive criticism, and pointed out that I made a serious error in the time line. *blushes* Charlie had been murdered a YEAR before Tyler's breakdown. That's my bad. I put 6 months in the last chapter. If I've not yet corrected it, then I'll get that done soon. Thanks for letting me know, and doing it POLITELY! That's much appreciated.

#########

Jeff sat staring at the vodka before him. He'd asked for a splash of coke, and it turned out that he'd screwed up. The sweet beverage ruined a good stiff drink.

His mind wandered to his wife, and his hand tightened around the glass. His life was a mess, and all of it went back to the young man she'd gone to visit. He sighed heavily. Who knew what Tyler was telling Sharon. After all, the kid didn't have the best record when it came to keeping his mouth shut.

*flashback*

_Jeff walked beside Tiffany, his hand on her waist. He kissed her neck, and she reached up, clutching his shirt, letting him know that he was in for a fun time once they were behind the closed door of their hotel room. They'd worked together for several months, and during that time, they'd gotten closer, and had been sharing with one another their dissatisfaction in their marriages. _

_The day she'd ran her hand down his back and patted his butt had been a pleasant "surprise", while if Jeff was honest with himself, he'd been hoping for it. Tiffany was a beautiful young woman with an hourglass figure that hadn't been changed due to pregnancy or age. She was the perfect picture of what he wished his wife still looked like. _

_Sharon wasn't ugly, but she'd let herself go. There were stretch-marks that had never gone away from Charlie's birth, along with the five pounds that she'd kept for the last 16 years, combined with what seemed to be a pound or two every year extra. She was… disappointing._

_He'd pressed Tiffany's lithe body against their door as he unlocked the door. She laughed as it took him three tries. The fact that her hands kept wandering down his front and grasping his arousal wasn't helping. Just as he opened the door, he heard voices, and his heart stopped. Talk about ending a good time on a bad note._

"_DAD!" Came from one shocked young man, while "Jeff" rang from the other. _

_His eyes narrowed and he glared at the boys. Of all the hotels in the city, they had to pick _this one._ Not some seedy dump down the road, not some nice hotel that offered nice amenities, or even one of their bedrooms. No. They were here. The place he'd brought his girl for something a little more fun than their usual quickie on his desk._

"_What are you two doing here?" He pushed Tiffany into the room and shut the door. Hopefully she'd let him in when he was done out here._

"_I think, Dad," Charlie glared at his father as venom dripped from his voice, "The question is what are _you_ doing here?"_

"_I'm being an adult." Jeff growled his reply. "You two aren't old enough to rent a room. If either of you say anything, I'll tell your dad." He pointed to Tyler. "And if you tell…"_

"_What, Dad?" Charlie's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You'll ground me? Take away my spending money? You really think that you can keep me from talking to Mom?" Tyler started to pull Charlie away, and he followed his boyfriend. "She loves you, asshole."_

"_I am your father, Charles! Do _NOT_ speak to me like that."_

"_Oh, you're gonna go in there and fuck some bimbo, but you want respect?" Charlie scoffed as he turned around, walking backwards, keeping pace with Tyler. "You don't deserve it. Father or no."_

_Jeff had taken a moment to calm himself down. He knocked on the door, and was relieved when Tiffany answered the door. She laughed nervously._

"_Everything ok? That was really awkward."_

"_Nah." Jeff shrugged. "He'll be mad for a few days, and then he'll get over it." He crossed to Tiffany and began kissing her again. "Besides, if my wife has a problem, I'll divorce her." _

"_Would you leave her for me?" Tiffany slid her shirt off moments before she undid his belt. _

"_Of course." Jeff figured one more lie wouldn't hurt, especially when it was to someone who would probably quit soon. _

They spent the next three hours making love. As Jeff looked back, he realized that Tiffany was making love to him… he was just using her as a handy sperm receptacle. He had no intention of leaving Sharon, at least not as long as she'd put up with him. Even though he'd convinced the young woman he was with that his wife was terrible, he had to admit that she wasn't all bad. He just didn't love her anymore.

Their affair had been perfect at first. She was there at his beck and call. If he wanted a quickie at lunch, he simply had to send her a text, and she'd meet him anywhere he wanted. If he wanted to have her over to the house when his wife was out of town, Tiffany made up excuses to her husband about working late, or conventions out of town.

And then it ended. Her husband was being transferred.

"_Jeff, you said that if I wanted, you'd get divorced, right?" She had her head on his chest, playing with the soft hair there. She felt him stiffen a bit, but thought nothing of it. _

"_I said I'd think about it."_

"_That's not what you said." She rose on her elbow, looking down on him. _

"_Alright, so it's not quite what I said." He tried kissing her again, but she rose, pulling the sheet with her, covering her naked form from his eyes. "What's going on?"_

"_Thomas is being transferred, and I want to stay with you."_

"_So leave him and stay."_

"_Why should I?" Her eyes narrowed. "If I stay, will you leave her?"_

"_Maybe." Jeff sat up, leaning against the headboard. "What's really going on here? Aren't you happy?"_

"_Happy?" She scoffed. "Jeff, I was happy. Yes, my husband is an ass. That's not changed. But you know what? I thought I found love with you. I guess not." _

"_Tiffany…"_

"_No, Jeff." She glared at him. "You just used me, didn't you?" She rolled her eyes at herself. "I'm such an idiot. I'm one of those women that we get warned in school to not become." She started to dress. "I'll bet your wife is actually really good to you, isn't she? I'll bet she does your laundry, and cooks your meals, and is there for you when you need her." Jeff stayed silent. He couldn't deny that._

"_Your silence says a lot, Mister." She picked up her purse as she walked to the door of what had become "their" hotel room. "Thanks for the fucks. I'd say thanks for the memories, but I'm not sure I want them." She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Was any of it real? Or are you just like Thomas? You say what you want to get what you want, and don't care who you hurt to get it?" _

_Jeff sat staring at her as she left. She knew the answer, and he didn't need to say it._

She breezed out of his life, and he nursed his wounded pride for a few weeks before looking for his next lover. He knew Sharon had found out about his affair. She'd kept him at arm's length the entire time he'd been with her, so it was obvious that Charlie and Tyler had told her about seeing him.

Deciding he'd not make things "worse" for himself at home, he didn't follow through on his threat to tell Tyler's father. Even so, Charlie was barely speaking to him. Tyler avoided him, Charlie was hostile when he had to speak to him, and Sharon had frozen him out. He needed to find someone. This stress of having everyone hate him was too much. He needed to be loved. He deserved to be loved.

Jeff remembered the day his phone rang, jolting him out of that session of convincing himself that having affairs was a good idea. He'd answered it, and was surprised to hear Tiffany's voice on the other end.

"_Hello, Jeff."_

"_Hi." He smiled. "Are you back in town? I've thought about…"_

"_No, jerk-off, I'm not." Her voice became acid. "I just thought you should know that I'm getting divorced. I've decided that I am better off without Thomas, but there's no way in hell I'm coming back to you."_

"_So why call?"_

"_I just wanted to tell you that I'm pregnant."_

"_Congratulations. Why tell me?"_

"_Because you are the father, Jeff. I'm sure of it. Thomas didn't want kids, so he always used a condom, even though he insisted I use a diaphragm. There's no way this baby is his."_

"_Come on. I'm not the only guy you slept with." Jeff sneered at her. _

"_How dare you!" Her voice rang shrilly over the phone. "Stay away from me." With that, she hung up._

He'd never heard from her again, even though he did wonder from time to time if she'd had the baby, and if it was a boy or girl. Perhaps losing Charlie was some sort of cosmic penance for not taking care of her when he should have. He could have at least sent some sort of child support, even if he never showed up in person.

Jeff raised his empty glass, silently motioning for the bartender to bring him another.

#####

Their case had run late, and with the blow out of Tony's tires, he had asked for a ride home by way of the hospital. Gibbs had driven him and decided to go in and see the young man they'd befriended. Tyler was nearly in hysterics, and Sharon was beside herself, apologizing, but no one seemed to know exactly why.

Tony nodded to Gibbs when Tyler finally relaxed back into a peaceful sleep. The younger man had been a mess when they'd returned, and Sharon's attempts to calm him had only seemed to make him worse. The two had shared a glance, and with the understanding born from years of working together, they'd created a plan. Gibbs would "interrogate" her while Tony watched over the "victim".

"Come on, Sharon, let's go get some coffee." Gibbs took her by the arm. "Let Tony take over for a while."

"I just feel so bad…" She stopped. "I didn't know he'd called…" Her voice broke.

"So talk to me about it. Come on, I need coffee."

Gibbs led Sharon down the street to a bistro, and ordered two large black coffees for himself, and asked her to order whatever she wanted. Once she had her Frappuccino, he led her to a table in the corner, away from most of the other customers.

"Now, tell me what's going on, Mrs. Boggs. Why didn't you know he called?"

He watched as Sharon toyed with her napkin. She then turned her cup in a circle, seeming to find her cup fascinating. She sighed heavily, as if about to speak, and then sat back, having still not said a word.

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable." Gibbs cleared his throat. "I just want to understand what happened. Tyler's a good friend to Tony, and I've gotten to know him. We've not been able to be around due to work."

"And now you want to know my excuse, right?"

"Guess that's the general idea." Gibbs sat back, forcing himself to relax and remember that this wasn't an interrogation, even though he wanted to treat it as one.

"Jeff hasn't taken Charlie's passing very well." Gibbs nodded, waiting for her to continue. Her cheeks turned red. "I guess I've not been a prize, either, Agent Gibbs."

"How so?"

"Well, I know I've not been as understanding as I should be." She shrugged. "I've tried, but I'm failing."

"So where does this fit in with not talking to Tyler?" Gibbs felt like slamming his hand on the table.

"Jeff and I haven't spoken much, and when we have, well, we've fought."

"And that translates into not calling Tyler."

"I wanted to." Sharon met his icy gaze. "But weeks had passed, and he'd not called, or so I thought. I asked Jeff once, and he said that it was probably because Tyler was trying to move on."

"And you believed that?"

"I don't know." Her voice cracked. "I was fighting to save my marriage, and fighting to keep Charlie's memory alive, and I guess I thought that if Tyler wanted space, that he needed it."

"That sounds reasonable." Sharon nodded.

"But Jeff lied." Her eyes were focused on her cup once more. "Tyler did call. He called several times."

"I'm sorry you've had this much hardship." Gibbs patted her hand clumsily.

"Thank you so much for looking after Tyler."

"It's been a pleasure." Gibbs offered a smile that barely reached his eyes. He needed to do some digging into Jeffery and Sharon Boggs.

They walked back up to Tyler's room, and he nodded to Tony. He had some answers, even if they weren't satisfactory, and he'd fill the younger man in later.

"Gotta run to the office for a bit." He handed Tony a coffee that he'd ordered, flavored the way his second liked it.

"Everything ok, Boss?"

"Yeah." Gibbs turned on his heel. "Just some paperwork."

#######

Gibbs sat at his desk, pulling up all of the information he could on Jeff and Sharon Boggs. He smirked as he read her dossier. She'd had one single traffic ticket back in 1972, but past that, there was nothing against her. Not even a bounced check.

Her husband, on the other hand, had a folder full of demands for child-support payments from four women, he'd been arrested twice in the last year, and… Gibbs narrowed his eyes. The police had been called to the Boggs house once, only two weeks ago. The neighbors reported shouting, and when the police arrived, they arrested him for spousal abuse, but Sharon had refused to press charges.

Gibbs decided to find out exactly why she'd refused to press charges. There had to be some reason. He could find no reason of why she was so devoted. When he found proof that she'd been keeping contact with the women who had given birth to Jeff's children, he decided it was time for a chat with her. Something was strange when a woman would buy birthday presents and send cards to the illegitimate children of her husband.

#######

Jeff sat next to Brandi, his hand conveniently on her thigh. She smiled at him, tracing the obvious mark where his wedding ring had been only moments before. She didn't care that she'd seen him take it off… in her mind, he'd removed it, and that was enough for her.

"So, Handsome," Brandi smiled, making her intentions towards him obvious. "What did she do?"

"Who?"

"The wife you're not trying hard to hide." She plucked at his left ring finger.

"She doesn't understand me." He shrugged. "Sometimes, I wonder why I bother."

"Well, come on, let's go over to that little table over there, and you can tell Brandi all about it, ok?" Jeff smiled wolfishly.

"Sounds like a plan."

Less than an hour later, they were headed to the cheap motel that sat across the street from the dank bar he'd chosen that night. Brandi didn't get him any more than Santa Claus did, but she was there, she was willing, and she was hot.

"Toss the condom." Her breath was hot in his ear. "I can't stand those things. I want to feel you, and I'm on the pill. I promise."

"Hm." He kissed her as he dropped the latex to the floor. "My favorite words ever."

The two lost themselves in the heat of desire, and he had no idea that his life was being turned upside down as he panted and groaned. The pleasure he stole was not worth the price he would eventually pay.

########

"Mom?" Tyler blushed. "Can I still call you that?"

Sharon smiled. "You've been calling me that for 10 years, and I'm not sure I'd take to you calling me anything else."

"That is one long-winded way of saying yes." His eyes sparkled as he teased her.

"Shush." She smacked him playfully on the hand. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"They're gonna transfer me to that…" He swallowed hard. "Other hospital soon, and I was wondering if you'd go and get some stuff for me."

"Sure. What do you want me to get?"

"Tony and I made out a list the other night."

"You and Tony, huh?" Sharon quirked an eyebrow at Tyler. "Something going on there you want to tell me about?"

"No." His face turned red, even as he denied her words. "We're just friends."

"Ok, Mr. We're Just Friends, he's only been here every day after work."

"Stop it." Tyler glowered at her. "I'm not dating anyone, especially not Tony."

"Alright." Sharon leaned down and brushed a kiss to his cheek. "I shouldn't have teased you."

"Darn right."

"I'll go after the guys get here, ok? One of them should be here, and they can help me get to your place. Traffic this time of day just isn't my thing."

"What isn't your thing?" Gibbs breezed through the door as he pulled a bag he'd had hidden in his jacket. "Here, drink this, kiddo. Gift from Tony. Think it's jamoca."

"Where is he?" Tyler swallowed hard. "Is he ok? Is he…"

"He's fine." Gibbs held up his hand. "He's watching Ducky's mom." The man couldn't help the evil smirk that crossed his features. "He may be sore tomorrow, but he's ok now."

"Why would he be sore tomorrow?" Tyler asked as he put the straw to his lips.

"Last I heard, she's convinced he's an Italian gigolo who is there to move her furniture."

Tyler had taken a drink, only to hear what Gibbs said, and spit it out. His eyes flew wide, and he drew his breath in quickly, making himself choke when he realized he'd gotten his shake all over Agent Gibbs' sports coat and shirt.

Sharon moved to his side to pound his back, helping to dislodge the thick fluid he'd accidentally inhaled.

"Dammit." Gibbs looked down at his shirt and jacket. "Have to at least give you good credit for your aim, kid."

"Sorry." Tyler choked out the word.

"Don't worry about it." Gibbs reached over and got a handful of paper towels to clean himself off with. He was silent for a moment, wondering at what exactly he should say. "So, I hear you're moving tomorrow."

"Yeah." Tyler's cheeks burned. "I'm stable, so I'm headed over there."

"They just want to make sure you're out of danger, Tyler." Gibbs rested his hand on the bed rail.

"I know." Tyler looked down at his emaciated body. "I didn't realize I was doing so bad."

Gibbs met Sharon's eyes over the bed, and agreed that they'd get him distracted. An hour later, Tyler was asleep, and Gibbs was driving Sharon to the young man's house to get some things that he'd need while he was in the hospital.

#####

Gibbs watched as Sharon dialed her husband once more. He pretended to ignore her message, but the bitterness in her voice was hard to miss. The curiosity he felt grew as he felt her tension.

"At least pick up the phone, and pretend like you still care, Jeff." Sharon fairly whispered her message. She waited a few seconds, and sighed. "Fine. I'll call again later." She hung up without another word.

"Been hard?" Gibbs kept his eyes on the road as he spoke.

"He's never…" Sharon sighed. "He's never been an easy man to live with, and things have just gotten worse since Charlie…" Her voice softened, and finally vanished, leaving the last word of her sentence unsaid.

"Does he hit you?"

"No." Sharon sighed. "Ok, he did a couple of weeks ago, but what he usually does is worse. He has affairs, Agent Gibbs. He tells women how terrible I am, convinces them to sleep with him, and then once they're pregnant, he ends the affair." Bitterness dripped from her voice. "The first time a woman showed up on our door step screaming at me for being a bitch, and for stealing her man away from her, and demanding that I end our marriage, I was surprised. I mean, the boys had admitted to sneaking out to a hotel and seeing him there, but it's…"

"A shock when they show up on your door." Gibbs nodded as he spoke.

"Yes." Sharon's answer was whispered. "He's had four affairs that I know of. I don't know if there's others, and I think he's having another, but I'm not sure."

"Why do you stay?" Gibbs spoke just as softly.

"Because I'm very foolishly a good wife. I do my best to take care of him, and I…" Her voice broke as she pulled a tissue from her purse. "I'm so foolish, Agent Gibbs. So foolish."

"Foolish?"

"I keep making sure the children he fathers and abandons have food and clothing and Christmas and birthday presents. Lord knows he doesn't pay his child support."

"Is that your responsibility?"

"No." Sharon sighed. "But those kids don't deserve to be treated badly just because their father is an asshole."

"What about their mothers?"

"I hate every one of them." Rather than angry, Sharon sounded defeated.

Gibbs felt his heart twist. He couldn't think of a single thing to say, and without knowing what else to say or do, he reached over and patted her shoulder.

############

Victoria danced around to the grandiose music that made up one of her favorite songs ever, _Bohemian Rhapsody _by none other than Queen. She was in what she jokingly referred to as her "just wrong cleaning clothes" that were made up of what was once her work out gear for football.

It didn't bother her that she'd basically broken into Tyler's house to do a bit of cleaning. She'd known where he kept his spare key, or rather, she'd seen it. The tall African American woman had snorted when she'd seen the frog in the flower bed by the front porch. Did that boy really think that frog was hiding anything? Everyone knew that was a handy spot for hiding keys. The only time the ploy worked was for the first 10 people who had them.

Her eyes rounded as _Don't Stop Me Now_ started to play. She had long ago developed a funny dance to this song, and now, as she danced around the room with a dusting rag in one hand, a can of spray in the other that she was using as a microphone, she didn't hear the door open, or the man call through the downstairs rooms to announce his presence. She reached down to her iPod and turned the music up louder, resettling her ear buds back into place. All of her head wiggling had shaken them a bit loose.

######

Gibbs and Sharon had seen the car outside, and he'd asked his companion if Tyler had a new car, or if he'd taken in a renter. Sharon had shaken her head, so Gibbs' next move was to call Tony and ask him if he knew anything. Tony had said the same. Tyler was sleeping, and he'd not made any calls. To the best of his knowledge, the younger man still lived alone, and he still had the same car.

"Stay here." Gibbs shot Sharon a sharp look.

Sharon watched as the agent prowled up to the house and slowly opened the door. He looked around carefully, and to her surprise, pulled his side arm. She'd not seen it before, and she wondered for a moment if that was why he always wore a sports jacket. He disappeared into the house, and she considered calling 9-1-1, but decided that if he wanted that done, he'd have asked her to. The man didn't seem to have a problem with stating his needs.

Gibbs walked carefully through the downstairs, no longer shouting his presence. Whoever it was hadn't heard him enter, and now he was relying on the element of surprise. His gut wasn't churning, so he figured that was a good thing, but something strange was going on. He could hear a voice, and as he got closer, he smirked as he started to understand the lyrics of the song being sung. If it was a thief, this person was the worst he'd ever encountered.

"_Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars  
On a collision course,  
I'm a satellite, I'm outta control.  
I'm a sex machine, ready to reload  
Like an atom bomb about to  
Oh oh oh oh oh explode!"_

The silver haired agent stepped into the doorway and stopped, dumbstruck. He lowered his weapon and watched as a woman danced. Her butt was swaying, nearly pointed directly at his face as she dusted and sang, seeming to still be unaware of his presence. He nearly had his gun put away when the tall person turned around. He'd still been debating with himself on the gender of the person. She was tall, as in extremely tall, and definitely muscled, and her voice, well, there was no denying that she was a low alto, but it was a woman's voice. She turned, and he was assured that despite the football jersey and men's shoes, she was indeed a woman.

"Oooooooooh, Lordy!" Her shriek hurt his ears, and Gibbs intended to calm her, but his movements seemed to terrify her more. He'd watched a movie with Tony a couple of months or so ago, and in it, there was a guy who squealed like she was doing and danced from side to side, as if in some parody of a football game.

"Don't shoot me, oh, Jesus, help me! Don't shoot!" She ended her dance with a drop to her knees, putting her hands behind her head.

Gibbs holstered his weapon and raised his hands, showing them to be empty. He then pointed at his ears, asking her to remove her headphones. Victoria's eyes widened and she ripped them out quickly, letting the final strains of the song blast through the room.

"Who are you and what are you doing?" His face conveyed what his team would know as confusion and a slight trace of humor, but all Victoria saw in her panicked state was what she thought was anger.

"My name is Victoria, and I'm a friend of Tyler's. I'm the one who found him, and I called the hospital, and they couldn't tell me if he's still there or not, so I thought I'd come over and clean his house, so he'd come home to a nice clean place. I had Agent DiNozzo's number, but I erased my call log, cuz I guess I was being a…."

"You know Tony?"

"Agent Tony DiNozzo?" Victoria raised her eyes to Gibbs. "He's a friend of Tyler's, and he asked me to call him when we were at the hospital. He's his medical proxy, I guess."

"Ok, ok, slow down." Gibbs stuck his hand into his pocket, and Victoria shrieked again, ducking behind her hands. "Calm down, I'm just calling Tony."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked into his phone. "Do you know a Victoria?"

"_Victoria? Yeah. She's the tall cutie that found Tyler. What's she doing over there?"_

"Cleaning."

"_She's probably just burning off the "I've been a bad friend" mojo she had going on. Everything ok?"_

"Everything's fine, Tony. Well, except for the fact that I scared her half to death."

"_Just think Abby, Boss. Just think Abby."_

"Yeah. Got that." Gibbs snapped his phone shut. "Story checks out."

"Like I would be lyin' to a man with a gun." Victoria stood and held out her hand. "Can I ask who you are now?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Tony's boss at NCIS." He pulled out his phone again. "Need to make one more call." He waited a few seconds, and then said two simple phrases. "It's ok. You can come in." And with a move that would get very familiar, Gibbs snapped his phone shut.

Moments later, Sharon raced into the room, her eyes darting from side to side.

"I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble." Victoria held out her hand. "My name's Victoria, and I'm a friend…"

"Sharon, Tyler's mother in law." She shook Victoria's hand, and quickly released it. "I need to get his things together. They're transporting him later, and…"

"I can help you, if you want." The two women shared a quick smile, and Gibbs stood back and watched as they raced about the house, gathering things he'd have never thought of picking up.

Once there was a sizeable pile on the bed, Sharon pulled the biggest suitcase from the hall closet, and began packing. Victoria backed away, letting the older woman take care of things from this point.

"So how to you know Tyler?" Victoria looked Gibbs over. "You're not his usual sort of friend. I mean, yes, he has a lot of guy friends, but not many of them carry guns." She grinned shamelessly, looking the man over again. "Well, besides the ones they're born with, anyway."

Gibbs felt his face grow red, and he stumbled to come up with an appropriate response. He'd been hit on countless times, but never by a woman who looked like she could tackle him without a second thought.

"Don't get me wrong, Sugar, I like you, I really do, but Tyler never talked about you. I've seen Tony, and I thought _he_ was the prize."

"Tony works for me."

"Oh, so you're a cop, too?" Victoria nodded. "Explains the gun."

"Didn't mean to scare you."

"Are you kidding me?" Victoria looked at Gibbs, her head weaving as she spoke. "I am a black woman in a white man's house, and there's another white man, that I don't know, holding a gun at me?" Her eyes widened. "Now what would ever make you think I got scared?"

"You look like you could hold your own." Gibbs saw the laughter playing in her eyes, and decided to go with it.

"You bet your sweet ass I can."

"Who'd you mug for your outfit?"

"Nobody, Honey." Victoria winked. "This is all mine. I played football for years, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm still the best linebacker that ever hit my high school's field, and probably one of the best my college ever saw."

"What league let you play?"

"Sweetie," she patted his arm gently. "I didn't always have tits." Sharon burst into laughter, nearly falling onto the bed at the shocked look Gibbs was unable to hide. Victoria's face fell. "I talk too much sometimes. I'm sorry."

"No, you're fine." Gibbs smirked. "Just caught me off guard." He cleared his throat. "Step into the hall with me?"

"Oh, a private hall meeting." Sharon shook her head, still laughing as the two stepped from the room. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"I have questions, and I'm not sure of who or even how to ask them."

"About Tyler?"

"Yeah." Gibbs ran his hands through his hair. "And Tony. I'm worried that he's…"

"Gonna wind up screwed up?"

"No." Gibbs was quick to refute her question. "I'm just wondering if he's interested in Tyler, then has he been dealing with this sort of thing? Is he gay? That doesn't matter to me, but if he is, what do I need to do? This is coming out all wrong."

"Yes, it is." The two locked gazes. "Are you asking this as a friend, or as a boss?"

"I'm asking this as a friend who is also a boss."

"Ok, what's most important?"

"That Tony's happy, no matter what, and that I can be supportive, no matter what. I guess I just want…"

"You just want to ask what every parent suddenly faced with this wants to know?"

"Yeah."

"Easy. Let me finish cleaning this place up, maybe just take a couple more hours, and then come pick me up. I've got my non-cleaning clothes in the car, don't worry. We'll go for dinner, and you can ask all the questions you want. Ok?" She stuck out her hand, and Gibbs shook it. "Drat, and here I was hoping you'd kiss it."

Gibbs laughed.

#############

Jeffery Boggs glared at the house phone as it rang, and his glare intensified as he heard his wife's whispered voice coming over the answering machine.

"Act like I still care?" He raged as he threw another shirt into his suitcase. "I still care, you bitch!" His voice rang through the empty house. "You're the one who doesn't care anymore." He pulled more clothes from the closet as he continued ranting.

"Maybe I'm not the best husband in the world, but I keep the bills paid, and I don't hit you. And how do you repay me? You get fatter and fatter, and I have a couple of affairs, and you tell me you want me to get checked for _diseases_." He spat the last word out with all the venom he could manage.

"I never gave you any diseases. I think you've been trying to find reasons to blame _me_ for _you_ running around. I know you do it, too!" Jeff accused her, knowing she wasn't around to defend herself. Even as he spoke the accusation, he knew it was false, but blame was always easier to place elsewhere.

He finished packing his bags, and carried them down the stairs. He looked around the house once more, not sure he was really making the right choice, but he couldn't see any other choice. Sharon had made the choice for him when she left to go be with that… freak. She'd chosen Tyler over him, and in doing that, had chosen a faggot over her husband. Anger and hatred flowed through him once more, and he carried his bags out to his car.

He never looked back as he drove away. His life was gone. His son was dead. His wife had chosen Charlie's queer, and she blamed him for every affair he'd had. If she couldn't see that she'd driven him to other women by letting herself go, then it wasn't his fault.

It was his time now. He needed to find a new life for himself. Maybe find a woman who would be a good wife. Maybe he could start over, create a new family, and have a new life. Yes, that's exactly what he needed. He needed a new life.

#####

Sharon hugged Tyler good-bye, promising to write to him when he let her know his temporary address.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo." She backed away, keeping his hand in hers. "I wish I could stay, but Jeff's not answering his phone, and who knows what he's up to. I need to get back home. I wish I could stay for you."

"It's ok, Mom." Tyler's eyes were filled with tears. "Just, um…"

"Just what, Sweetie?"

"Just don't let him keep you from talking to me again, ok? I need you."

"I promise." With a final kiss to his forehead, she walked out of his room.

His transport to the mental facility where he'd be staying until he had his depression and eating disorder under control wasn't due for another hour. Sharon felt terrible about leaving, but she knew she wasn't able to watch him being taken away. One of her friends had been admitted to a hospital after a failed suicide attempt, and they'd handcuffed her and put her in leg-irons. She knew that watching Tyler leave his current happy surrounding for that sort of treatment was more than she could bear.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Sadly. *heads to corner to cry*

Author's Note: Thanks to my beta, Headbanger Rockstar, and to those who read, favorite, follow, and review. Many thanks!

Next Author's Note: I'm loosely following the time-line, but I'm taking liberties where they fit my purpose, so be warned. And that's all I'm gonna say.

########

Jethro waited until Tyler had been taken for transport. He debated if he should ask Tony to call Sharon and let her know that Tyler was taken to the other hospital by medical transport, or if he should make the call himself. When Tony asked if he could go to Gibbs' house and make use of the boat, Gibbs had his answer. The poor guy looked like a stiff wind would blow him over. The older man gave him the go ahead, telling him that he'd be home later.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go talk to someone."

"Want me to come?"

"Nope. It's not about a case. You need to relax." Gibbs nodded toward the parking lot. "Go on. I'll be home in a few hours."

"Hours." Tony's eyes widened. "You're gonna talk that long?"

"If we need to, yes."

Tony watched as Gibbs peeled out of the parking lot and headed in the opposite direction of his home. A sinking feeling filled the younger man. He'd hoped to not be alone tonight, and he wasn't even sure why. So many things were wrong in his world, and he didn't know where to start fixing them.

He drove slowly to Gibbs' house and pulled into the drive, taking the parking spot that had become "his" by proxy, and fairly tromped down the basement stairs. He picked up his sander and headed to the boat, only to lean against the solid structure and let his tears fall. Perhaps he needed the time alone after all.

His mind raced from one thing to another. He was upset with himself for failing Tyler, and he was upset with Gibbs for making him fail. He was angry with himself for not being a better friend, and furious with the rest of Tyler's supposed friends for treating him as they had. He felt fear when he thought of the other man's body, and how thin and gaunt he looked. With a deep breath, Tony placed the sander on the wood and let the grains rub off the roughness, and with it, his anguish.

#########

Gibbs pulled into Tyler's driveway, and blew out a hard breath. This was it. He wondered, not for the first time since learning of the two men's friendship, if he was ready for the answers he'd get. He wondered if he even knew the right questions to ask. Sometimes, the answers seemed all wrong, and it turned out that the answers were right; it was the questions that were wrong.

"Hey, Handsome." Victoria opened the door and sat down. "I'm glad you took as long as you did. I found some nasty stuff in his laundry room, and I had time for a shower, too."

"Good." Gibbs smirked. Tony was right. Abby in a larger frame.

"So where we headed?"

"Steaks ok with you?"

"Oh, yes. I love me some steaks." Victoria drew out some of her words, making her declaration comical.

"Good." They were quiet for a few minutes.

"You don't say much, do you, Agent Gibbs?"

"No, not usually."

"It'll be hard to ask questions and get answers if you're gonna be all strong and silent."

"I do have questions, but…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not sure how to ask them." Gibbs shrugged. "If I ask them wrong, they're gonna give me the wrong answers."

"Well, how about you ask me one, and I'll answer it, and if it's not the answer you wanted, then we figure it out?"

"That works."

"Good." She shot him a saucy smile. "See, I can play the one word game, too."

"No, you can't. You just explained what you did."

"Damn. Ok, you got me there." They were quiet for the space of two blocks. "So…first question?"

"Tyler can choose if he wants to be a man or woman, right? And that's because of how he was born?"

"Yes. He's got everything for both. With new understanding and some well-placed laws, he could have been gendered at the age of two, after his parents got to see if he was more like a girl or a boy, but those laws weren't in place when Tyler was a baby, so he was named a boy, which is probably a good thing for him."

"But he likes guys?"

"Sadly, yes."

"If he likes men, and he has the equipment, why not choose to be a woman?"

"Agent…"

"Just Gibbs."

"Ok, Gibbs, if you were to put on a dress, would you be comfortable?"

"No."

"Ok. What if you were told you needed to grow your hair out, or paint your nails, or use a women's restroom?"

"I'd not grow my hair, as it's not comfortable, there's no way I'd paint my nails, and I'd be as uncomfortable as hell in a women's restroom."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm a guy."

"Do you see yourself as a man, or do you see yourself as a woman?"

Gibbs opened his mouth to spout off that he saw himself as a human, when he realized she was right. He'd not do any of that stuff because he saw himself as a man. Victoria smiled to herself when she realized he'd not answered because he was angry, but because he'd gotten it.

"I'm a guy, even when I dream. I see myself as a man."

"Exactly. So does Tyler. He just happens to be a gay man."

"Did you know Charlie?"

"Yep, he was a good man. I missed their reception. My brother got married the same day, and as much as I'd have loved to skip that mess, I don't need to be any more of a disappointment to my mother."

"She has problems with you?"

"She's a good mom, Gibbs. But she's pretty opinionated, and some of her ideas don't agree with mine."

"Makes life hard, I'll bet."

"It does." Victoria cleared her throat. "But let's not talk about me and my family issues. You were asking about Charlie?"

"Yeah. Everyone swore he wasn't gay. But he was married to Tyler, who's a gay man."

"He wasn't gay. He was totally into Tyler. I don't think he'd have ever considered dating any other man, honestly. And trust me, he was a fan of Tyler's girl parts." She fanned herself comically. "You should have seen those two. Charlie could dance, and ooooooooh, it was like watching sex on hard wood."

"So Tyler uses his…"

"Vagina, Gibbs. You can use that word. It's ok." She was quiet for a moment. "They thought at one point that they were pregnant, and I had my fingers crossed so hard for them." Gibbs glanced over at her. "Oh, his girl parts work just fine. From what Charlie said on many occasions when he'd had one beer too many, his girl parts are in more working shape than his boy parts."

"I'm just not used to this." Gibbs ran a hand down his face. He wondered if there was a way to scale back this conversation.

"Yeah, I know." Victoria patted his shoulder. "That's ok. I'll say the embarrassing words if you need me to."

"Just not in public."

"What, you don't want me running into the restaurant screaming "gay sex, vagina, penis, and cunnilingus?" Gibbs nearly choked on his tongue as she rolled her eyes. "I swear, you straight people can be so dull and boring."

Fifteen minutes later found them at Gibbs' favorite steak spot. They sat in a corner booth, where they didn't really have privacy, but Gibbs figured they'd not need it. He quirked an eyebrow when she ordered the second largest steak they served, but figured that for a former linebacker, he'd not really be surprised. After all, if _she_ were a _he_ the older agent would have expected it.

"Ok, we're waiting on our dinners, so why not ask your next question?"

"Is Tony gay? Or is he like Charlie? I guess I should say…" Gibbs stopped. "I know he's been with women. But is he interested in both? Or is he just interested in Tyler, or am I reading too much into their friendship? What if I'm not? What do I do then? I love Tony like a son, and I don't have a problem with him dating Tyler. They have a great time together, and that's all you can expect. Hell, it's more than I've had with any of my ex-wives. But what do I do if he is gay, or if he's…"

Victoria started to chuckle.

"Let's take this one question at a time, ok?" Gibbs nodded. "Is Tony gay? I think the answer to that will be no. Maybe it's something you should ask him about when you are comfortable asking him about it."

"When I'm comfortable?"

"Yes, and I'm serious. If you ask him now, you'll get all jumbled up and nervous. If you do that, even if he is gay, he'll not want to tell you, for fear that you'll disapprove or be angry."

"Makes sense."

"Of course it does." Victoria winked. "I'm a woman. I'm good at giving advice. Just don't expect me to follow it."

"Noted."

"You're already trained." She sighed happily. "It makes conversations so much easier. Ok, now, before I go and get myself into trouble, let's look at the next question. What if he's interested in both? Well, will you feel any differently about him if he does like both?"

"No." Gibbs thought for a moment. "I think it would take some getting used to if he started to date Tyler instead of just being friends, but I don't have a problem with it. It's just a new situation."

"What if it's someone else? Such as me? What if he brought me home? Or maybe some other man? Maybe that fellow over there? What would you do then?"

Gibbs sat back, thinking for several minutes. He wondered what he really would do. Was there anyone that he'd be upset at Tony for dating or falling in love with? He relaxed a bit when he found his answer.

"I don't think I'd care who it was, so long as they were happy together." He shrugged. "I mean, really happy. If I thought the person would hurt him, then I'd speak up."

"And would a man hurt him more than a woman?"

"Only because we're bastards."

"True, but we're bitches."

"So I guess the answer then is no. He'll be happy with who makes him happy."

"Good answer, Gibbs. Good answer."

Their dinners came, and a comfortable silence settled around the table for a few minutes. Gibbs surprisingly broke it.

"So if Tony does turn out to be gay, and that's ok with me, it really is, what do I do? Not as his boss, but as his friend?"

"As his friend? Support him. Be there for him, and don't change your relationship."

"I guess out of everything, that has me the most worried. What if I screw up, and think I'm supporting him, and I'm really knocking out his foundation? His father has done that to him more times that I can count, and I don't want to hurt the kid more."

"And that's why Tony can talk to you. He let you in on his friendship with Tyler, right? Or did you go snooping?"

"He brought Tyler over to the house one afternoon."

"He did that because he felt safe. Keep that going. Keep being safe for him." Gibbs smiled. He could do that.

Victoria waited a few moments, taking in the man before her. She was a good reader of people, and this guy was so much like Shrek that she wanted to tell him to stop being an onion. There were so many layers to him, and the first one he needed to deal with was his pride, of that she was sure.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"With Tony, and with Tyler, I guess, you need to be honest." He opened his mouth to argue, and she held her hand up to stop him. "I'm not saying you're lying to them, but I am saying that if you want an open and trusting relationship to keep going, even if Tony's life does a flip from here on out, then you need to be as open and honest as you want him to be. You've got to set the tone, even if it's not easy."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if you hide away, so will Tony. In other words, open that mouth of yours and say more than two words at a time. I'll bet you've spoken more with me tonight than you have with Tony in the last month."

Gibbs nearly cringed when he realized that his words weren't flowing, but she was right. He'd been more open with her in this one conversation than he'd ever been with his second. He wondered if he could be that honest with Tony, and if so, how would their friendship change?

When he dropped Victoria off at Tyler's house that night to collect her car, he playfully leaned over and kissed her cheek. She fanned herself, playing along.

"Thanks for your help, Victoria."

"Thanks for asking questions, Gibbs." She popped the door open, and was gone.

########

Gibbs walked into his house and smelled the pizza Tony had ordered. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. He picked up the box, and was surprised at its weight. Tony usually only left one or two slices, but it had been untouched. Gibbs frowned and headed downstairs.

The silver-haired man stood in the doorway of his basement for several minutes, simply watching his agent. Tony was so absorbed in his form of meditation, that he wasn't aware that he'd nearly sanded through the rib he was working on. Gibbs slowly made his way down the stairs and put his hand over Tony's.

"Hey." He kept his voice soft, even as the younger man jumped. "You ok?"

Tony drew in a deep, shaky breath.

"I think so." Tony pulled his hand away from his boss' and began pacing, circling around the boat.

"Need to talk about it?" Gibbs was unsure of what to do or say. He'd never seen his second so unsettled. He watched as Tony circled the boat once more, and decided he'd find something to talk about. "Saw the pizza upstairs." Tony's steps halted. "Did you eat?"

Tony shrugged. Gibbs waited a few minutes, and when Tony turned to picking at a spot on a rib that hadn't been sanded yet, Gibbs motioned with his head for the younger man to go upstairs. With a sigh, Tony followed his boss.

Once they were in the kitchen, Gibbs set about warming up a couple of slices for Tony. He set a beer down in front of the younger man, and stood at the counter until the microwave beeped.

"You need to eat."

"Fair enough." Tony took a bite. "Now it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yeah. What's eating you?" Tony leveled his gaze at his boss.

"I screwed up by not letting you talk to Tyler, and I'm worried about screwing up again."

"Didn't expect that."

"It's the truth, Tony." Gibbs leaned against the counter, putting his hands on the counter behind him, leaving his body open, signaling that he wanted open communication. "We have this strange friendship, and it means a lot to me." He lowered his gaze for a moment. "I don't say it to you, but you're like my son." Tony sat in stunned silence. "And I've screwed up. I didn't screw up as your boss, but I screwed up as your…dad."

"I have a dad, Gibbs."

"I know. I just screwed up, didn't I?"

"Gibbs, my dad wouldn't care if he hurt me or anyone else so long as he got what he wanted. My dad wouldn't be here heating up pizza for me. My dad wouldn't be worried about messing up."

Gibbs felt his heart break. He'd opened up to the kid, and was having his failures thrown back at him. It wouldn't hurt so much if he could honestly say he didn't deserve it. Tony saw the shattered expression on his friends face before it was carefully hidden behind a mask.

"You're not my dad, Gibbs." He watched as the older man flinched at his words. "You're better than him. You're my friend, and while I may not always like you, I respect you." Tony stood and walked over, planting his feet before Gibbs. "That's something he'll never get, Gibbs. Not really. Sure, I keep him out of trouble, but that's from some misguided emotional issue that I'm not too interested at looking at too closely. But you?"

Tony wasn't sure how the older man would receive his actions, but he leaned in, wrapping his arms loosely around Gibbs' shoulders.

"You're better than my dad. You give a shit." Gibbs let out a sardonic chuckle.

"I guess this means I'm the one with the daddy issues, huh?"

"No, you've got "dad without a kid" issues." Tony grinned as he returned to his seat. "Really Gibbs, you shoulda had kids. A whole passel of 'em." He took a bite of pizza, and missed the look of pain that flashed across his boss' face. Tony took a second bite of his pizza, still not noticing the turmoil on his friends' face.

"I did have a kid, Tony." Gibbs sat down as Tony's gaze flew up, the pizza held in his hand nearly forgotten. "She's the reason I'm at NCIS."

"What happened?" Gibbs was quiet, and Tony began to regret asking in the way he did. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

Gibbs held his hand up and cleared his throat. He swallowed hard, and Tony watched as the man he knew as unfeeling and staunch struggled to control his emotions. The younger man wondered just what had happened, and with which of his ex-wives he'd had a baby. Had her birth lead to a divorce? _Wait._ Tony prattled in his mind while Gibbs composed himself. _He said he had a kid, which meant she had passed. Did that mean she'd been murdered? _

"It's ok, Tony." Gibbs cleared his throat again. "I brought her up." He looked down at his hands. "I don't talk about her often."

"Boss, you don't…"

"I asked you to trust me, Tony." Steel blue eyes met emerald green. "I should trust you, too."

"Ok." Tony lifted the slice of pizza he held to his mouth in an automatic reaction. He listened with a mixture of heartbreak and awe as Gibbs began his tale.

"When I was shipping out for the Marines, I sat at a train station, and the prettiest girl I'd ever seen started up a conversation with me. Her name was Shannon." He cleared his throat again. "We got married two years into my service, and Kelly was born three years later."

Tony leaned back, his pizza forgotten again, as he laid it on the plate. He wiped his fingers on his pants, and Gibbs smirked. He realized he'd had to fight the urge to tell Tony to get a napkin.

"She was feisty, just like her mom. Both of my girls were strong-willed and could be hot-headed when they were tired."

"Made for interesting times, I'll bet."

"Some good, some bad." Gibbs shrugged. "Kelly didn't want me to leave on my last deployment." They were quiet for a bit. "I hugged her out there, pretty much where you park, and told her I'd be back. She clung to me and begged me not to go. I had to pry her arms from around my neck, but you know duty."

"It doesn't wait."

"That's the one." Gibbs sighed. "We sent tapes back and forth, and she had her first piano recital. I still listen to it from time to time. She played Twinkle-twinkle Little Star, and was so proud of herself."

"What happened?" Tony's question was practically whispered.

"Shan witnessed a crime, and she reported it." Tony felt his blood run cold. "They were given a protection detail, but their detail was shot and killed while they were driving, and he ran off the road." Gibbs swallowed hard again. "My girls were killed instantly."

"Boss, that's terrible!"

"It was, Tony." Gibbs leveled his eyes at his young second. "I didn't find out about their deaths immediately, as I had been in an explosion, and was coming out of a coma." Tony's eyes widened. "I came home to an empty house. No laughter, no love, no clothes scattered around, no toys littering the floor, nothing. All of it was gone. My mother-in-law had come while I was still in the hospital and cleaned for me. Maybe it was good that she did.

"Maybe it would have been harder on me if I'd had to clean the house. I don't know." Gibbs shrugged. "But I felt like I was coming into a strangers house, and it's never felt right since."

"I'm so sorry, Boss." Tony was fighting back his own emotions. "I never should have made that crack about you having…"

"You can't know things unless you're told about them, DiNozzo." Gibbs regarded his second for a minute. "I guess I want you to know that you fill a void in me." He huffed out a chuckle. "That came out all wrong."

"You do the same thing for me, Boss." Tony smiled and nodded. "I've wanted my dad's approval for years, and I've learned I'm not gonna get it." He picked up his now cold slice of pizza. "And thanks to your guidance, I'm ok with that."

"Seems we're good for one another." Gibbs lifted his empty beer bottle in a silent salute as Tony took a large bite.

Tony grinned back at the older man and reached for his own beer, intending to drain the last of his brew. He glanced down in time to see a ball of sausage starting to slide, and tried to catch it. In his movement, he managed to knock over his nearly-empty beer, spilling the rest of the contents, and if that wasn't enough to make his face blanch, he knocked his plate with the other slice Gibbs had heated for him onto the floor.

Gibbs stared at him for a moment, wondering if Tony was going to swallow his bite or spit it out. He hoped the younger man wouldn't settle on choking. Moments passed, and Tony finally swallowed.

"I'm so sorry, Boss."

"Don't worry about it." Gibbs felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'll go get a towel, Kiddo. Pick up your plate, and get that pizza up before it stains."

"Shit." Tony swore under his breath. "All that talk about not being a kid…"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything associated with NCIS.

Note: Thanks to my awesome beta, Headbanger Rockstar! Love ya!

Note: Any plot holes are my fault. Really. Blame the brain damage. I freely admit that writing is my therapy. And some stories will never be published cuz they're awful. lol

#########

Tyler groaned as another snack came his way. He really didn't mind being in rehab, because he realized he needed it, but honestly, this whole six-meals-a-day thing was getting to him. He was glad, however, that they were getting medicines for him. He'd not realized he needed them, and while it still irked him that he needed to take something, he had to admit that he felt better than he had in months. He felt alive. He felt free. He liked it.

He accepted the apple, cheese, and the skim milk that he'd been offered, knowing that if he didn't take it and eat at least half, that the orderly would return in ten minutes to offer it again. Thankfully he had a puzzle book to keep himself occupied. He was sick of the same movie that was playing once again in the rec room, and it wasn't time for Tony's daily visit.

Tyler smirked to himself as he thought about his friend. The guy had been by every day, keeping the promise he'd made to Jeff and Sharon when they'd returned home. They'd asked him to keep an eye on him, and he'd not failed once in coming in the evenings. Twice his visits had been only a few minutes, but he'd still stopped in. Apparently, he'd been keeping track of Tyler's spending habits, because the man's account was never depleted. He wondered briefly if he owed that to Sharon, Victoria, or Tony, and then figured he'd owe them all thanks when he was out, anyway. He'd find out then who he owed for his free access to the "store."

He was lost in his puzzle and didn't see Tony enter. The slightly older man stopped in the door and just watched Tyler for a minute. The kid was a puzzle working beast. If he ever needed a present, Tony knew exactly what he'd get him.

"Hey." Tony walked forward, a smile plastered on his face. "You just got that book yesterday. You really that far ahead in it already?"

"Oh, hey, Tony." Tyler put down his pen and looked up. "Yeah." He leafed through the pages quickly, looking sheepish for a moment. "They're not hard, and I guess I've never been good at pacing myself."

"What kind are you working on today?"

"It's the acrostic puzzles you brought me yesterday."

"Those looked confusing as shit!" Tony slid out a chair and plopped down. "How do you get them done so fast?"

"I can usually get about half of the word clues, and then put in the letters where they belong below." Tony nodded. "And once I've got that, then it's just a matter of figuring out what the words down below are. See this one? The beginning and end are both "t", there's seven letters, so that means that the word is most likely "thought."

"That's cool."

"They're fun to do." Tyler shrugged. "Keeps me busy."

"Yeah? What else has been keeping you busy?" Tyler shrugged. Tony nudged him with his shoulder. "Come on, talk to me."

"It's stupid."

"No, not if it's important to you."

"Well, I just feel…" Tyler stood and began pacing. "I'm not even sure…" He stopped again. "Tony, I don't want my house anymore." Tears sprang into his eyes. "That was for Charlie and me. He's not here anymore, and, well, it's big, and it's empty, and quiet, and I hate my house." He ran his hand across his cheeks, wiping away tears. "Is that bad? Is it bad that I don't want to live there anymore? Does that mean I'm letting Charlie down? Am I being a bad person? If I move, does it mean…"

"It means you don't want to live there anymore, Tyler." Tony came and stood awkwardly in front of his friend. Tyler looked up at him, and Tony fought the urge to pull the younger man in to a hug. "It doesn't mean you're bad, or that you're moving on, or that you're forgetting him. It just means that you don't want to live there anymore. That's all."

"What if I change my mind? Should I sell? Should I rent it out?"

"I think you should talk to Gibbs."

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah." Tony smiled. "He's a good sounding board. Well, Ducky's better, but he's not someone you know well, and I'm not sure you're ready to meet a bunch of new people."

"Ducky. He's the guy who…"

"Performed the autopsy, yes." Tony's eyes dropped down.

"I'll talk to Gibbs." Tyler nodded. "I don't think I can handle talking to the other guy." His voice broke. "I just can't…Oh, God." Tyler started crying in earnest. "I'm the worst husband in the world, aren't I? He's only been gone a few months, and I want to move out of our house, but I can't live there. I can't, Tony."

Tony guided Tyler back to his chair and helped him sit. He knelt down before the younger man.

"Hey, you gotta calm down, Tyler." He kept his voice quiet. "You're not a bad husband, Tyler. You're dealing with your grief the best way you know how. And that's ok."

"Is everything alright?" One of the orderlies came over to them.

"He's having a rough time. He's making some choices, and they just hit him."

"Let me call his therapist."

"I'm gonna call a mutual friend, if that's ok. Someone who's dealt with the death of a spouse."

"We usually prefer to have…"

"I want to talk to Gibbs." Tyler forced himself to calm down a bit. "I talked to my therapist earlier today, Phil. I want to talk to a friend who understands."

"Good enough." Phil looked at his watch. "Just make sure the guy hurries. Visiting hours are over in two hours."

"Thanks." Tony pulled his phone out, glad he didn't have to worry about if his boss would be reachable or not. Sometimes, Rule Number Three was a blessing.

#########

By the time Gibbs reached the facility where Tyler was, he only had about half an hour with the kid. He hoped it would be enough. Stupid traffic laws. Even dumber was the broken shower lines in the NCIS gym, making the trip to his house (in the opposite direction) necessary.

He breezed past the front desk, following the directions Tony had given him. By the time he'd gotten there, Tyler had moved to his room, and Tony along with him. He wasn't sure of what to expect, but the sobs he'd heard in the background had him worried.

"What's goin' on?" He strolled into the room, looking from one man to the next.

"Got a problem, Boss."

"Yeah, I know. I need coffee." Gibbs held up his empty hands, and Tony's eyes widened. This was something he'd only seen on the rarest of occasions. Gibbs didn't have coffee.

"Let me run to the vending…"

"Thanks, DiNozzo." In that moment, Tony wondered if the absence of coffee was intentional. With a smile on his face, Tony set about seeing just how long it could possibly take to find a cup of coffee in this joint. To his utter amazement, he was able to spend over a half of an hour wandering around looking for the "perfect" brew. Of course, it came from the same machine he'd spotted several times, but it never hurt to keep looking…

#############

"So what did you guys talk about?" Tony held his usual sanding block as he worked beside his friend.

"Stuff."

"Ha, ha. Seriously. Were you able to help him?"

"A bit." Gibbs sighed. "It's gonna take some time."

"I know. I just wish I could help him more."

"You're doing everything that anyone can do, Tony." When the younger man met his gaze, he nodded. "You're being there with him. Trust me, that's more than you know."

"Were you able to help him decide about his house?"

"Yeah, we came up with a temporary solution." Tony waited, knowing his boss would speak when he was ready. "He's not in a place to really make decisions, Tony. So he's gonna stay with me for a while." Tony's head snapped up, his eyes wide.

"With you?"

"That a problem?"

"No, Boss, it's just…"

"I never let anybody stay with me, I know."

"Yeah, it's surprising, but I think it'll be good for him."

"Better than going down the tubes again." Gibbs took a sip of his bourbon. "I know how he's feeling, Tony, and it's the same place you were in when Wendy first left. You stayed here until you were ready to be on your own, and it's the same with him."

"Gotta protect your own, huh?"

"Something like that."

###########

Two weeks later, Tyler stepped into Gibbs house. He had a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, and his backpack in his hand. Behind him, Gibbs carried another duffel bag, and Tony had two suitcases. He'd teased Tyler mercilessly about having so many clothes, but Gibbs had silenced him quickly by threatening to drive by his apartment and vindicate Tyler. The younger man had laughed, which made Tony glad that he was able to provide some comic relief in the day.

Leaving the hospital, entering the house where he'd begun his decline into near death, and packing his clothes had been almost more than Tyler could bear. More than once, Gibbs had coached him along, reminding him that he only needed his clothes and toiletries. Tony had tried to help, but felt like he was just a spare wheel. Only when Tyler had thanked him for joining them had he felt like he wasn't stepping in where he wasn't needed.

Once he was unpacked, Gibbs called and ordered pizza. The three sat down to a meal that would have made Tyler's nutritionist groan, but Gibbs figured that once wouldn't kill the kid. Besides, they had a salad. That cancelled out the grease after all; at least it did for Gibbs.

Their quiet evening came to an abrupt halt when Tony and Gibbs phones went off in tandem.

"Shit." Their twin curses and motions of pulling out their phones had Tyler grinning.

Within minutes, Gibbs had finished telling Tyler where everything was in the house as Tony grabbed their go-bags and made sure they were in the car. Both men bid Tyler farewell and headed to their cars. None of them had any idea of how crazy their lives were going to get for the next month and a half.

The case they were called out for seemed to be fairly cut and dry. The paperwork was even finished less than 20 hours later. For the MCRT, that was nearly an immediate-closure.

Tony could only blame being overtired for his stupid move of opening the letter with the kiss. That was what he'd swear to his dying breath, if he really had to have a reason. Of course, the logic that anything with a kiss on it had to be for him was much more his style, but he knew he was smarter than that.

##########

In the hall, Gibbs ran his hands down his face. This couldn't be happening. Tony was more like his son than he'd ever want to admit to anyone, and he felt like he was losing another child. Anger coursed through him. There was no way in hell he was going to let the bastard who sent that letter win.

He stormed to his car, intent on getting back to NCIS as quickly as possible. He pulled out into traffic, and his phone rang.

"Gibbs."

"Hey, Gibbs. It's Tyler." Shit. He'd forgotten to call the kid.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." He sounded upbeat. "Do you think you and Tony will be here for dinner?" Gibbs sighed.

"No, Tyler." He pulled into the navy yard, tires squealing. "I got bad news."

"What happened?" Tyler felt his hands start to shake.

"Someone sent a poisoned letter to NCIS. Tony opened it." He regretted his usual curtness when he heard Tyler vomiting on the other end of the phone.

##########

Tony lay back, his eyes closed. He knew he'd screwed the pooch. And the worst part of it was that he'd endangered Kate. At times like this, he hated himself and his immaturity.

_I hate proving my dad right. Do I even want to call him that? No, not really. He contributed semen, but that's about it. And the name. He did give me that. But he's not been there any other time. I don't think he could. Is that what's wrong with me? Do I have some stupid gene that keeps me from being responsible? _

_Crap. I do. My father always said I was just like him. What a waste. Sometimes I hate myself. Honestly, I do. _

_I wonder what would have happened if I'd stayed in Baltimore? I'm sure Danny would have killed me. Or had me killed, or something. Would that have been better? Have I really made a difference at all? No, probably not. Not if I'm honest with myself. I like to think that I'm some big-shot, but let's face it. Gibbs has McGee and Kate, and those two can do anything. They've proved it time and again. Sure, they're a little green, but they're getting better at their jobs. _

_Gibbs. Now there's another matter altogether. He's the closest thing I've ever had to a dad, and I totally admire the guy, but I'm sure that's over. Sheesh. I can't believe I've been this dumb. And what's he gonna tell Tyler?_

Tony's heart was suddenly in his throat. His mind raced even faster, and the nurse on duty noted that his pulse had sped up as his blood pressure rose. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

_I am such an asshole. Even if I had a chance with him before, it's gone now. I'm gonna die, and he's never gonna know that he's the only healthy relationship I've ever had, and we're not even dating. Shit. I'm an ass. I really am. _

_We can talk about anything, and he doesn't ask questions he knows will lead to arguments. He listens, and dammit, we can sit for hours and not say a word and still enjoy one another's company. I can be myself, and he doesn't hate me for it. Hell, I think he's the only one who's ever seen the real me, besides Gibbs, anyway. Shit. _

_I deserve to die. I really do. The first person he makes a real friendship with after Charlie's passing, and what do I do? I pull this stunt. _Tony sighed heavily, the first noise he'd made in a while. _He must be going through hell, and it's all my fault. _

Just as Tony got to really punishing himself, the doors of his sealed chamber slid open. He expected to have a doctor leaning over him, or perhaps even a nurse checking his IV port again. Never did he expect to have Gibbs bending over him.

He didn't really register everything that his boss was saying to him, but the lone phrase of "You will not die," was ingrained in his memory. That single phrase kept his mind busy for the next several hours. He gasped for breath, keeping dark thoughts from his mind with the repeated phrase "You will not die."

Tony wasn't sure when he was moved to ICU, but he remembered by being moved. The lights made him sick as he passed under the rectangles of fluorescence. The ride in the elevator dropped his stomach more than he wanted to admit, and if he'd had anything to lose, he probably would have. He was never so glad to be moved into a room in the Intensive Care Unit as he was then.

"You will not die." The words resounded in his head once more as he fell asleep. As odd as it seemed, he knew that he was going to survive. After all, the ICU was a step up from where he'd been.

########

Tyler had rushed to the hospital as soon as he'd received the call from Gibbs that Tony was going to live.

"He's ok?"

"No, he's far from ok, but he's not going to die. At least not from the plague. Can't guarantee that he'll survive the complications."

"Is he still alone?"

"They're moving him up to ICU now. He'll be able to have one visitor at a time."

"Can I come?"

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes." Tyler looked down at the plate that had held a half-sandwich and an apple. It was now empty, and he was glad he'd not tried to lie to the silver-haired man. The last time hadn't turned out so well.

He'd driven to the hospital as quickly as he could without risking a ticket. Even though he wasn't paying rent at Gibbs' house, he'd not had work since he'd been taken to the hospital, and his savings account was nearly empty.

While Gibbs had warned Tyler what Tony looked like, his first glimpse of his friend was frightening. Tony's face had a bluish pallor to it, and his chest rose in short gasps, despite the oxygen that was obviously pumping into his nose through the cannula.

Tyler wasn't sure how long he stood there staring. It seemed as if he'd stood there for years, and yet he knew it couldn't have been long. He jumped when a gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"He's going to be alright, Tyler. Come on, let's go see him." Swallowing hard, Tyler nodded at the silver-haired man he'd come to trust. They reached the side of the bed before Gibbs spoke again.

"Come on, Tony, wake up a minute, ok? Got some news for you." Tyler watched as his friends eyes slowly cracked open. A swollen tongue extended a bit and tried to moisten cracked lips.

With shaking hands, Tyler reached out and picked up one of the glycerin swabs, so much like what Tony had helped him with. Gibbs watched as Tyler gently put the swab to Tony's lips, rubbing the inside of his cheeks with the swab, as well.

"We got her, Tony. We found everything we need, and she'll never be able to do this again."

"'S good, Boss." Tony croaked out the words. "'S hard."

"Yes, it is hard, DiNozzo, but you're gonna be fine." Gibbs ran his hands over Tony's hair gently. "Keep breathing, son. That's your job for now." Tony nodded slightly. "Like I said before, you're gonna live."

Gibbs left the room quietly, leaving Tyler alone by Tony's bedside. He didn't need to be there right now. Not for the first time since Tyler came to live with him, he was glad for the younger man's presence. As much as he hated to leave Tony, he had to finish this case, and with Tyler there, he wasn't worried in the slightest about his agent not being looked after.

Just as Gibbs had expected, Tyler settled in for the long haul. When Tony woke hours later, he looked over, expecting to see Gibbs, like he usually did, but was pleased, even though he wasn't sure why he was _so_ pleased about it, to find Tyler sitting where the older man usually did.

"Tony!" Tyler was on his feet as soon as he realized Tony's eyes were open. "Let me call a nurse. They wanted to know as soon as you woke up this next time. Do you need anything? Do you hurt?"

All of the questions Tyler pelted him with made Tony want to chuckle. He couldn't get most of them, and he knew the young man had hit the call button, yet the questions kept coming. He wondered if he really did look that bad. He must, if someone who had no reason to care about him was this worried.

##########

Three weeks later, Tony leaned heavily on Gibbs as the older man helped him up the stairs and into the master bedroom. For reasons he'd never understand, Tyler was sleeping in the guest bedroom, Gibbs was in the basement, and Tony was in what he called "the big" room. Why the two men had changed the entire house for him, he'd never know. He could have slept on the couch and not displaced anyone, let alone both of them.

"You're thinking too hard, DiNozzo." Gibbs helped Tony take another step.

"Coulda slept on the couch, Boss."

"Nope." Gibbs pulled Tony up one more step. "Not a good place to heal."

"Boss…"

"Shut up, Tony." Gibbs smacked his head lightly. "I've been sleeping in the basement, anyway. Tyler's just moving to a smaller room. So shut up and help me get you up these stairs."

"Shutting up, Boss."

Tyler chuckled from behind them. He knew Tony would put up a fight, and was amused at how Gibbs handled it. He was sure he'd have screwed it up somehow. Something had changed with Tony, and he wasn't sure. It seemed as if Tony was expecting him to be angry or something, and Tyler had no idea why. But he wished he knew. If he knew, he could stop the problem.

Three days passed uneventfully. Tony woke and he slept. Tyler got him to take a little food and a lot of tea. He rose and used the restroom with help. But for the most part, he slept.

_The water felt good. It had been months since he'd gotten to the gym, and working out felt nice. More than nice. Working out and getting a real sweat, instead of his fever sweat felt wonderful. Tony finished with the weights and decided he'd go over to the pool and swim a few laps. He was loose, and wanted to stay that way. Water had always been a good friend to him, and he didn't doubt its kindness now._

_He had stepped into the shallow end of the pool, just like he always did, and waded down until he was waist deep. From there, he kicked off and began swimming the laps that would finish his work out. The cramp across his chest started slowly, and Tony stopped for a moment, treading water in the center of the pool to stretch and work out the knot. Once he felt release, he started again, intending to swim to the edge and get out. _

_The pool seemed to be never-ending. No matter how hard he tried, he never reached the side. The pain in his chest grew more fierce, until Tony was left gasping for every tortured breath he took. He felt someone come along beside him. Tyler. He knew that voice._

_He reached out, grabbing blindly for his helper. Hands fought back, and he realized he was dragging the other man down with him. He let go, only to feel hands on him again. He opened his eyes and screamed._

Tyler was at a loss as for what to do. He'd come into the room a few moments ago, when he'd brought up a load of laundry and had heard Tony moaning and groaning in his sleep. He'd tried to wake him by speaking to him, and that had only caused the other man to lash out with his hands.

A touch to his shoulder had Tony writhing, as if in agony. Tyler shouted his name once more. With a determined look, Tyler took hold of Tony's shoulders and shook them both. He opened his eyes and screamed. Tyler let go and backed off, certain he'd just done something terrible.

"Oh, God, I killed him." Tony's words made no sense to Tyler, so he stepped up to Tony's bed once more. "I killed him." The heartbreak was unmistakable.

"Tony, wake up." Tyler reached out and touched Tony's hand, surprised when his friend grasped his hand tightly and held on. "Are you with me?" He'd heard Gibbs say that phrase time after time, and now knew exactly why it was so usable. Tony's eyes were open, but he was somewhere else entirely.

Tyler sat on the side of Tony's bed, and found himself pulled into a nearly-painful embrace.

"TONY!" He shouted, this time into Tony's ear. The man not only let go of Tyler, but nearly threw him backwards. Tyler wondered for a moment about Tony's strength. If he was this sick and still that strong, what was he like when he was well?

To his relief, Tony's eyes seemed to clear after a moment. He stared at Tyler, as if making sure that the younger man was really there, and then he reached out and tentatively touched him.

"You ok?" Tyler was worried. "Must have been some nightmare."

"I cramped up, and I was drowning you. I'm so sorry." Tony's voice broke. "I had you under the water. I didn't mean…"

"Tony, you've been in your bed. You're soaked with sweat, but I can guarantee you that you've not held me under the water. Come on, wake up all the way, man. You're freaking me out here."

Tony blinked a few more times, his breath still coming in gasped pants, but not quite as quickly as they had been. Tyler stood and went to the medicine "dresser" that had been set up and readied one of Tony's breathing treatments. It'd been a few hours, so it was safe for him to have another, and the younger man didn't like the rattle that was coming from his friends' chest.

When Tony began to choke on the fluids that had shaken loose in his congested lungs, Tyler was back to his side, helping him to sit up and holding a pan under Tony's chin. Tyler pounded as paroxysms of green and yellow mucus came from Tony's mouth. He turned his head to avoid being sick, wishing he could make Tony better.

After what seemed an eternity, Tony stopped coughing. He lay back exhausted, and Tyler propped him up slightly, putting the nebulizer mask over his face. He'd been glad before that Tony could be medicated without having to hold one of the traditional "adult" pipes to his face, but none more than now. Tony was exhausted, and Tyler doubted he'd even have the strength to seal his lips around the other style.

He carried the basin Tony had coughed into to the bathroom and rinsed it out. He washed it after that, and set it upside down to dry on a rack that Gibbs had dug out from the attic just for Tony's equipment. He heard a few more coughs, but they weren't the deep ones of moments ago, so he finished what he was doing before looking out to check on his friend.

The man was leaning back, his chest rising and falling as steadily as he could manage. His breaths weren't deep, but he was trying. It seemed his chest rose farther than it did yesterday, and that was good. Every inch of progress was a blessing.

Tyler turned back to the bathroom. He needed a moment. He looked into the mirror, realizing for the first time that there were tears running down his face. Raising a shaking hand, he wiped them away and took a deep breath. He wasn't going to fall apart. He could be upset after Tony was back to sleep. Right now, he needed to be a caregiver.

His steps were resolute as he turned to Tony's bed. He looked down at the recovering man.

"I'm gonna go get you some tea, ok? And then we'll talk." Tony simply nodded, but Tyler didn't miss the look of defeat and shame in his eyes.

Tony groaned inwardly as Tyler left. This was it. He'd have to come clean, and how did someone come clean about things they weren't sure of themselves? He wasn't even sure why he was so worried about what Tyler thought. He just knew he was. And earlier…when he thought he'd caused Tyler to drown… he shuddered.

"You ok? Chilly?" Tony hadn't heard Tyler reenter the room.

"No." Tony shook his head and tried to sit up. He failed, and rolled his eyes at himself.

"Ok. Here, let's get these pillows propped." Tyler acted as if nothing was wrong, and Tony wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. He handed Tony his cup of tea and sat down on the chair that had been carried up for Tony's myriad of visitors.

"So, tell me about this dream. Seemed pretty scary."

"It was." Tony took a sip of the hot brew. "I was working out, took a swim, and started to drown." He looked down, suddenly embarrassed. "I was calling out for help, and the edge of the pool just kept getting farther away."

"You were moaning and groaning in your sleep, and I tried to wake you up." Tyler tried to get Tony to meet his eyes, but his friend was focusing on his cup. "You started to fight."

"I heard your voice, in my dream. No words, but I knew it was you." Tony swallowed hard. "I reached out, but then I was dragging you under with me." He looked up. "I thought I was killing you."

"No such luck." Tyler grinned. "I'm still here. See? All of me." He motioned down his body comically.

"I'm glad." Relief still flooded Tony's voice at the thought.

"Me, too." Tyler cleared his throat. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just a dream."

"Not just the dream, Tony. You ok with everything else?"

Tony felt like he'd been caught in the headlights of a tractor trailer. How was he to answer that?

##########

Gibbs sat at his desk, fuming. He wasn't used to working cases an agent short. True, he'd been part of a two man team, and the second man had been one Anthony DiNozzo. The problem was, that he was now part of a three man team, and neither of his junior partners were the aforementioned agent.

After giving orders to both McGee and Kate, he uttered the words that would bring them all a moment of peace.

"I'm going for coffee."

Once in the lobby, he pulled out his phone and dialed Tyler. He wanted to call Tony, but figured that if the kid was sleeping, he'd not risk waking him up. After only two rings, his other kid answered.

"Hey, Gibbs."

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah." Tyler sounded a little…off. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You answered faster than usual, and my gut's going."

"Tony had a nightmare, and I'm trying to get him to open up."

"Good luck." Gibbs looked at his watch. "Gotta go. Need coffee, and the perp ain't gonna catch himself."

By the time Gibbs called it a day and sent his team home, he was ready to relax. He needed his boat, some bourbon, and time away from the Keystone Kops who called themselves his team. He wondered, not for the first time since Tony got the plague, just where he'd gone wrong.

He realized his peaceful evening was shot to hell when he walked into his house and was met by a nearly frantic Tyler. The kid had worked himself up, over what, he had no idea, but Tyler was a mess.

"You've got to talk to Tony, Gibbs. He won't let me talk to him, and he's been coughing, and I don't know what I did wrong. He had that nightmare, and I asked him how he was, and then I talked to you on the phone, and then…"

Just then, a deep, wracking cough was heard upstairs. Tyler looked to Gibbs with pleading eyes.

"Please, I don't know what I did, but can you help him?"

Without a word, Gibbs was racing up the stairs. He couldn't imagine what Tyler could have possibly said to Tony, but in Tony's state, who knew. The kid probably just pushed too much, and didn't know that Tony's "go away" was a temporary "give me space".

"What's up, Tony?" Gibbs stepped across the room, removing the blanket Tony had just soiled with his last coughing fit. "Why kick Tyler out?"

"Didn't mean to, Boss."

"Well, ya did." Gibbs got a new blanket out of the closet. He'd used the closet for storage for years, and for the first time, was glad he'd put his extra bedding here, and not in the attic. "Wanna tell me why?"

"Hadda dream, Boss."

"Yeah, so I heard. What's that got to do with you getting mad at Tyler? He's helping you, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Tony ran his hands over his face. "I don't really _know_ why I got so mad. It's like there's something going on in my mind, and I can't figure it out, but when I thought I'd killed him in my dream, I…" Gibbs waited. He looked at his watch.

"You what, Tony?"

"I got scared."

"Ok, we got that covered. Wanna talk about it?"  
"Not sure."

"Think maybe you'd better if you're gonna have Tyler helping you. He thinks he did something to you. He's all upset. Talk it over with me, and then make it right with him." Gibbs shrugged. "That's the best you can do. So talk."

Tony nervously twisted the sheet in his fingers for a moment before sighing as loudly as his lungs would allow him to. Gibbs quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He knew Tony, and if he kept sitting here, he'd get answers. The silent treatment worked on him just as well as it did on criminals.

Gibbs watched as his boy was taken with another fit of coughing. When he was needed, Gibbs stepped forward and began pounding his back as hard as he could, helping to loosen the crap clogging Tony's lungs. Gibbs grimaced as Tony brought up junk, and barely got a pan under his mouth in time.

Once he was done, Gibbs wiped Tony's mouth, unhappy with the small amount of blood mixed with the mucus. He decided to call Ducky once he got Tony cleaned up.

"Come on." He looped his arm under Tony's shoulders. "You're soaked with sweat, son. Need to get you changed."

Tony lurched and sagged as Gibbs moved him to the chair.

"Not feeling good, Boss."

"Yeah, I can see that." Gibbs pulled the soiled sheets from the bed, and remade it as Tony worked on getting his shirt off. Once he was done with the bedding, he came over and helped Tony finish stripping off his shirt. "Give me a minute, Tony. Need to get you clean."

He went to the bathroom and got two shallow pans of water, one with a bit of soap, and the other clear water. He carried the two pans out and set them on the dresser next to where Tony sat. With a gentle touch, he began to wash his second in command, cleaning away hours of sweat.

"Not a good idea to stay up here alone, Tony."

"I know."

"So why'd you do it?"

"I didn't want to kill him."

"How would you kill him?"

"I was swimming, and was gonna drag him under, too."

"That was a dream, Tony."

"Yeah, but I'm scared."

"About what?"

"All of it." Tony started to nod off.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet, kiddo. Gotta get you dressed again." Tony nodded and then winced. "You hurting?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna call Ducky. Want him to check you out." Gibbs ran a towel over Tony's chest and back as he spoke. "Do you want to wait for him to get here, or do you want something for pain now?"

"Now." Tony coughed again, and groaned. "Hurts."

"Alright." Gibbs got a warm shirt back on his boy and ordered him to lift his feet, slipping a pair of sweats onto his legs. "Ok, ready to stand? Gotta get your pants up, and you back into bed."

"'K, Boss." Tony stood on shaky legs, accepting more help from Gibbs than he wanted to admit.

Before long, he was back in his bed, the top sheet and blanket pulled back up to his chin. Gibbs had given him a Percocet, and he waited for it to kick in, hoping against hope that he fell asleep before he had a chance to ramble on about what his mind was so occupied with.

"No sense."

"What?"

"Makes no sense, Boss."

"What doesn't make sense, Tony?"

"Tyler."

"What about him?"

"I get to feeling funny. Like I did with Wendy, but with her, I had to always be nice. I had to be the guy who picked her up. Couldn't be myself. She'd get mad." Tony yawned. "And then I got that stupid ring, and she got mad anyway. It wasn't big enough. Nope, she wanted more. And I didn't have it."

"Her loss."

"Huh." Tony was quiet for a breath. "You know what Boss?"

"What?"

"What if I'm falling in love with Tyler? Does that make me gay? Is that why Wendy broke up with me? No, that's not it." He looked up with sad green eyes. "I was never good enough for my dad, either. Never been good enough for anybody before. But you? I'm good enough for you. If I'm not, you're pretty good at hiding it."

"You're good enough for me, Tony."

"Oh, good." Tony relaxed for a moment. "Good to know." He yawned.

"Is that why you got mad at him earlier?"

"Tyler?"

"Yes, Tyler."

"Maybe. Not really sure. Had that dream. Don't really get it. Don't know why I feel like this, Boss. Sometimes, I think of him like he's a girl. You know, like when he calls and asks me to pick up a bag of pads on the way home, stuff like that."

"He's only done that a couple of times."

"I know." Tony's eyes drifted closed. "I like that he trusts me. I really like it. I like him. Not…" His sentence finished in a snore.

Gibbs smirked down at his sleeping agent. If he could fix things with Tyler, then all would be well. What fixing things with Tyler would look like, who knew. Only Tony knew that. But at least he could go downstairs and calm the youngest member of his household.

By the time Gibbs got back downstairs, Ducky was walking through the front door.

"Ah, Jethro! You called and left a message with young Mr. Palmer that I needed to hurry over as soon as possible. My apologies for not taking the call myself. I had a liver that needed tending."

"Thanks, Duck. He's sleeping, but waking him won't be hard. He's had a rough afternoon." Gibbs darted his eyes to Tyler, knowing his next words were going to upset the kid, but he had no choice. "He's coughing up blood."

"Oh, dear. That's not good. I'll check his vitals and place a call to Dr. Pitt. I'm not entirely sure that we won't be making a trip back to the hospital, Jethro." Ducky glanced over to Tyler.

"Hi, Dr. Mallard." The younger man gave a slight smile, and swallowed hard, images of Charlie on a metal table flashing through his mind. "Excuse me."

As Ducky headed up the stairs, he sighed heavily. He'd recognized the younger man, but it had taken him a few moments. He'd seen him only a handful of times, and the last was when the older ME had Mr. Boggs on his table, and his husband had come in. The young man had been in a bad way, and Ducky mentally castigated himself. He should have taken better care to ensure the man's well-being. The sound of nearly-violent retching coming from the downstairs bath twisted his heart.

Tyler shook as he leaned over the stool, surprised at the onslaught of memories that overtook him. His mind replayed the shooting, Charlie falling before him, his husband of five hours being on a metal table, mostly covered by a pale blue sheet. He choked out sobs as he gagged again, losing the meager contents of his stomach.

Tears of pain and grief mixed as he wrapped his arms around him, trying to support his abdomen as he continued to vomit, as if that was the only way his body knew of helping him.

As Ducky was checking on Tony and calling Dr. Pitt, Gibbs was in the bathroom, his hand rubbing down Tyler's back gently. He turned for a moment, getting a washcloth wet before holding it out for Tyler to take and wipe his mouth with. The small kindness seemed to give the younger man something to focus on besides his revolting organs, and he stood shakily.

"Sorry."

"For what?" Tyler blushed.

"For throwing up."

"Your stomach, not mine." Gibbs shrugged. "Wanna talk about it?" Tyler nodded slowly, and Gibbs led him to the couch, where he sat with a cup of coffee as the younger man talked.

#########

Ducky sighed with relief as he listened to Anthony's lungs. There was the wheeze he expected, but the tell-tale whistle of a punctured or torn lung wasn't present, and that thrilled the old ME more than he wanted to admit. Dr. Pitt didn't hide his relief at that news, and agreed that Tony could stay home.

"Give him another nebulizer treatment, Dr. Mallard, and keep a careful eye on his mucus over the next day or so. If you can, stop in a couple of times a day to check his breathing. I know it's a lot to ask, but the only way I could…"

"Say no more, young man. I'll happily stop in to check on him. If his condition worsens or does not improve within 24 hours, what should we plan?"

"If he's not past the bloody mucus stage in the next 24 hours, I want him back here in the hospital."

"As far as pain control, shall we continue on with the aspirin? Or would…"

"Aspirin is the safest on one hand, but on the other, if he _does_ develop a tear due to coughing, we don't want his blood thinned." Brad Pitt fell silent for a moment. "I'll call in a prescription of Tylenol. I don't want to give him a narcotic, as it could cause other problems, nor do I want him taking four OTC pills every four hours, either."

"Wonderful. I'll pick it up for him when I leave. Is there anything else we can do for the poor lad?"

"Keep him well hydrated, and that's about it. Gibbs and Tyler know his breathing and coughing schedules?"

"I do believe so."

"Good. Just make sure that he does his coughs, and let Gibbs and Tyler know to have him reduce his times from five minutes to three minutes. It'll put less strain on his lungs while still promoting movement and expulsion."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome. Keep me posted, and let me know if he needs a return trip."

"Absolutely. Have a good evening."

"You, as well."

Ducky settled the covers around Tony gently, making sure the younger man was safely back to sleep. He wished there was more to give him for pain, but Dr. Pitt was right. Anything harsher than Tylenol could cause serious problems. At least the last narcotic hadn't worn off yet, so he was able to rest. However, he shouldn't be alone at all for the next several hours just in case.

At the moment, he had no choice, however. If Tyler were ill, he had no business being in Tony's room at all. In fact, if he were ill, Ducky would demand that Tyler come stay with him for the evening. Hopefully there were no other issues impeding Anthony's wellbeing.

As Ducky descended from the upstairs, he heard the final statements from Tyler, and his heart broke for the young man. He wondered if he should call Jethro into the kitchen, sparing Tyler his presence.

"Hey, Duck." Gibbs motioned to him. "Come on in."

"Would it be better for young Tyler if we spoke in the kitchen?" The older ME sounded unsure of himself. "I'm sorry to have caused you such distress earlier, my boy."

"That's ok." Tyler looked nervously down at his fingers. "Guess I wasn't expecting it to hit me so hard."

"No, I would suppose not." Ducky sat in the chair he normally occupied when visiting.

"How is he?"

"He's rather rough, I'm afraid." Ducky took in a deep breath. "For the next few days, he can have nothing for pain except Tylenol. The medication he has upstairs could suppress his lung function, and that would, as we all know, be more than his fragile body can handle at the moment."

"What else?" Gibbs sat forward, his head in his hands.

"His lungs are rather thin at the moment, Jethro. They've been through a terrible ordeal, and as such, his body is repairing. Slower than any of us would like, but he's doing well, considering. That said, I know that you, Tyler, have been ensuring that he does his breathing exercises and coughs every day." The younger man nodded. "I've been instructed by Dr. Pitt to tell you to decrease his exercises to three minute times instead of the five minutes you have been doing."

"Ok." His voice was whisper soft. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. You can continue to be there for him. He enjoys your company."

"I'm not so sure, Dr. Mallard."

"Ducky, please. And why say that?"

"He got mad at me earlier." Tyler turned anxious eyes to Gibbs. "Did he tell you what I did wrong?"

"You didn't do anything, Tyler." Gibbs smirked. "He scared himself shitless with a dream and took it out on you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. He told me everything. Feels bad. Wants to apologize."

Tyler slumped back in relief. "Oh, man. I thought I'd pissed him off."

"Nope." Gibbs took a sip of his now-cold coffee. "In the world of a sick DiNozzo, "fuck off" means "give me five minutes", and "go away" means "I'm worried", and "go to hell" means "thanks for caring."

"Well, that's handy to know." Tyler rolled his eyes. "You could have thought to tell me that sooner."

"Nah. Spoken DiNozzo for so long now, that I forget he's got a language all his own." Ducky cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Tyler, would you mind going and tending to Anthony? He really shouldn't be alone, since he did have a narcotic not long ago. I'm not anticipating any problems…"

"On my way, Dr… I mean, Ducky." Tyler nodded to the older man. Ducky watched him leave, taking in his still-skeletal form.

"He's not done well?"

"Had some problems adjusting."

"Is he getting the help he needs?"

"Yep." Gibbs stood and motioned for the older man to follow him downstairs. "He's eating several times a day. Not large amounts, but he's getting there. Has check-ups once a week, and is going to therapy. He's doing better."

"I'm relieved. It's always so sad when a young man faces the death of a spouse, as well you know."

"Ya think?" Gibbs poured bourbon into two jars, and handed one to Ducky. "Now. What were you so hesitant to say in front of the kid?"

###########

Tyler slipped into Tony's room and sat in the chair next to his friend, thinking he'd not roused the other man. Tony's eyes slid open a bit, and he grinned, obviously thrilled to have his buddy back.

"Ty, hey, Ty." Tony sing-songed the words. "How are you? Sorry I got mad. Ya know, sometimes, I just don't make sense, not even to myself." Tony giggled and then stopped as the sound turned to a cough.

"You should be resting."

"No." Tony shook his head. "Nope. That's what they always say in the movies to people who are gonna die. You ever notice that? Like resting is gonna make someone die slower or something. Nope. No resting. I need to get up." Tony sat up on his elbows, trying to pull his covers back.

"No, you don't." Tyler laughed, even as he held Tony down by the shoulders. "Do I need to call Gibbs?"

"Fine." Tony willingly slumped back. "This is me resting. Happy?"

"Immensely."

"Ty, hey, Ty?" Tony looked up at Tyler, the most pathetic puppy-dog expression on his face that the younger man could ever recall seeing, even on a child.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I got mad earlier. Not mad at you. Nope, never mad at my Tyler."

"Well, I'm glad for that. You had me worried."

"Can't get mad at you. Not really." Tony shook his head. "Not sure why." He seemed to forget there was anyone else in the room as he rambled on. "Sometimes, I look, and I'm like, damn. He looks good, and then I slap my head. The dude's a dude. And then, sometimes, like when he calls me, and asks me to pick something up for him, I feel so special, like I'm the only one who can do that little errand, and how dumb is that?

"And what's really twisted? I think he and my boss are the only healthy relationships I've ever had in my life. Even Wendy wasn't healthy. If that was a good thing, she'd have taken the ring. But no, she got pissed that I didn't spend more money. Bitch."

"What are you talking about, Tony?" DiNozzo whipped his head to the side at the sound of Tyler's voice.

"Tyler! Hey! Tyler! I was just thinking of you."

"Yeah, I got that." The younger man grinned. He could probably video this and make a killing on a comedy site, and would if Tony hadn't been such a good friend.

"See, here's the thing, Ty." Tony grinned stupidly. "Ty, Ty, he's so fly."

"What's the thing, Tony?"

"See, I can't decide if I want to date you, fix you up with a friend, or play basketball with you. What do you want? Cuz, you know, I'm confused. Would you date someone like me? I'm trouble. I can tell you that. I'm shitty at relationships."

"Why don't we talk about this later?"

"Cuz you're here, I'm here, and well, I wanna talk."

"Ducky says you need to rest your lungs."

"Was he here?"

"Yeah, he's still downstairs with Gibbs. Don't you remember him being up here, checking you over, and calling Dr. Pitt?"

"Um…" Tony drifted off for a moment, as if trying hard to remember. "Oh, yeah. Guess I do."

"Ok, that's a start." Tyler grinned. This was more fun than frustrating. He wondered briefly what he was like on drugs, and then decided he never wanted to find out. "Well, he said that you need to rest your lungs."

"No fair." Tony scowled. "Wanna talk."

"Not right now. Maybe later?"

"Fine." Tony watched as Tyler prepared a nebulizer treatment. "Don't want no more of those."

"Too bad." Tyler held up the mask. "Gonna put it on. You get one every six hours, remember?"

Tony just sighed as heavily as his lungs would allow. Tyler settled the mask on him properly and turned the machine on. Tony began breathing deeply, just as he was supposed to. Tyler watched as Tony's chest rose and fell. His breaths weren't deep, but they were better than the shallow, barely existent gasps he'd taken only a few days ago.

A few moments later, a few breaths later, Tony's eyes closed and he slept. Tyler waited until the treatment was finished before turning off the machine. He pulled the mask gently from Tony's face.

"Sleep well, my friend." Tyler grinned. "And no, I don't want to be fixed up, but I'll take you up on that game of basketball when you're better." He thought for a moment. "And maybe dinner, but no dates yet." Tony snuffled down into his pillow, completely unaware that his friend had even spoken.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or anything affiliated with it.

Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar, my awesome beta!

Note: Please remember that this story is AU, OOC, and while it fairly closely follows the time-line, I am tinkering and adding or changing as needed to fit my story. My apologies for how long it took, as well.

########

Ducky cleared his throat, and lowered his head. There was no easy way to explain this, and while he knew that Tony would need careful watching, he had no one to sit with his mother this evening. Perhaps it was time to consider a nursing home. After all, training young Mr. Palmer was taking far more of his time than he'd anticipated.

"Anthony is in danger of developing a problem called pneumothorax. This is a condition where there is air buildup around the lung, and the pressure from the excess air can cause it to collapse." Gibbs swore softly. "His lungs are still healing, Jethro, and his time of agitation this afternoon did him no favors."

"So what now?"

"I'm going to teach you what you need to know, and you can help Tyler learn."

"I think you should teach him."

"With the trauma I caused him earlier this evening, I'm not entirely sure that would be a good idea, Jethro. There is a good chance that anything I would teach him would be lost in a sea of worry, and that could cost Anthony his life."

"What do I need to know?"

"First off, there are signs to look for. If Anthony becomes more agitated, as in he's anxious, having difficulty speaking, etc., you must call an ambulance immediately."

"He's sick, Duck. He's anxious all the time."

"No, he's impatient. The anxious I'm speaking of is the one associated with an inability to breathe."

"So like he was when he was fighting for every little gasp."

"Yes." Gibbs swallowed hard as Ducky nodded. "Another sign of severe distress will be the vein on the side of his neck. If you notice that pulsing or pumping, especially if it appears blue, you'll need to get him help immediately."

"Ok." Gibbs pulled down the notepad he usually used for taking measurements and began making notes furiously. "Wouldn't he be better off in the hospital?"

"Right now, the only thing they could do for him in the hospital is observe him, I'm afraid, and the agitation of being there would far outweigh the benefits of being observed."

"Not much of a consolation, Duck."

"No, I suppose not." The men were silent for a moment while Jethro caught up with his notes.

"What else?"

"Watch his skin tone, and if he becomes more blue than he is, call an ambulance."

"Got it. If he goes blue, or bluer, call an ambulance."

"Yes, and I'm going to leave my stethoscope here with you tonight."

"I don't know what I'm listening for!" Gibbs fought the urge to throw the pen he held.

"If you'll listen, I'll explain the sounds to you."

"Great." Gibbs sighed. "How often do I have to listen to his chest?"

"I would suggest that either of you listen at least once an hour, if you can. The sooner a problem is detected, the sooner he can be helped."

"So what am I listening for?" Gibbs held out his hand for the instrument.

"I'm going to have you listen to my chest first, so that you can learn the sound of air coming into a lung." Ducky spoke as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Now, put the tips in your ears, and let's start, shall we?"

#########

Upstairs, Tyler sat in silence as he watched Tony sleep. He replayed the funny one-sided conversation his friend had had with himself, chuckling over parts of it, and getting annoyed with others. His annoyance was far from anger, but more of a frustration that he just didn't seem to fit sometimes.

Tony's confusion over seeing him as a guy sometimes and as a girl other times was a fairly common occurrence in Tyler's life. He wondered if there'd ever come a day when he _didn't_ have to face that. He sighed. Probably not. Even when he started to get to know people, and hang out with "the guys", his body would do something totally random… like start a period.

As quickly as those thoughts came into his head, Tyler turned them off. He had a job to do, and he was going to do it as well as he could. He needed to watch Tony, and he couldn't if he was focusing on himself. He swallowed hard as he realized that he'd found a friend in Tony. A friend who was good and true, and he couldn't bear to lose. _Can't lose a friend who will buy you pads._ Tyler smirked.

Tyler sat for a few minutes, watching the mostly-steady rise and fall of Tony's chest. Thoughts began to creep into his stillness, and he stood, pacing slowly, simply for something to do. He knew Tony was worse off than before. He'd seen it in the old ME's eyes. Something was wrong, and he didn't know what to look for.

That worried him the most of all. He was glad that Tony's chest was as noisy as it was, for the constant rattle of breath let Tyler know his friend was at least breathing. Another cross of the room, and the sound stopped.

With a new wave of fear, Tyler rushed to the bed, feeling Tony's neck for a pulse. He wasn't sure where exactly he was supposed to feel, but he didn't find one, and he quickly uncovered Tony's arms, hoping to find one in his wrist, even as he screamed for help. He wasn't sure where the two older men were, but he hoped they'd hurry. Even as he tried to find a pulse, Tony was turning a shade of blue that he'd seen only once before.

He screamed for help again, and thankfully, heard the pounding of feet in the hallway. He'd still not found a pulse. He looked up to Tony's face, and gasped. The man's mouth and eyes were completely blue, giving him a disturbing _dead_ appearance.

Tyler heard someone on the phone, and was right in guessing that it was Gibbs calling 911. Ducky was already on the other side of the bed, and had begun checking for a heart-beat, as well. The older man nearly sighed in relief as he found one. Tony's pulse was faint, but it was there.

"Do you know how to do CPR breaths?" Ducky put a gentle hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"Yes." Tyler nodded quickly.

"Good. Then we'll do tandem breathing." He shook Tyler slightly. "Focus, Tyler. Tony needs you to focus. Can you do this?" After receiving a nod from the young man, Ducky ordered Gibbs to go downstairs and wait for the ambulance.

The senior agent raced down the stairs, flinging the door open, even as he cursed the Scotsman for sending him from Tony's side. His anger nearly reached a boiling point when the ambulance drove up, and two paramedics quickly jumped out. As soon as they started asking questions, Gibbs understood why Ducky had sent him, and not Tyler. The younger man wouldn't have known half of the information they were asking, and it would have delayed the help that Tony could receive. His anger dissipated as he led the charge upstairs and into the room where Ducky and Tyler breathed for Tony.

#######

Tyler and Gibbs paced in the small waiting room. Most of the time they barely missed scraping shoulders, a few times they didn't, and each glared at the other. Tyler was upset that Gibbs had been in the basement, and Gibbs was upset that Tyler hadn't called for help sooner. Ducky wondered if they'd start tearing one another to shreds before Tony was stabilized.

Both had made no secret that they were furious with the other, and Ducky wondered when the pot would boil over. Gibbs' ears were starting to turn an unhealthy shade of red, while Tyler's neck had been puce for several minutes. Another pass of the floor, combined with another "miss" of passing one another, and Tyler began to fume.

"You could have stayed in the hall, Jethro, or at least in the living room. But the basement?" Tyler glared at his older counterpart. "The fucking basement? Are you serious? Do you realize I had no idea of what to watch for? What the fuck was so important that you had to hide down there, anyway?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I was in my house? _My house?_ I can talk where ever I feel like it, kid."

"Oh, great. So now, what? The next time this happens, if he lives through this, you're gonna be where? In your garage? _YOUR_ garage?"

"Gentlemen!" Ducky stood and got between the two men. "This is a hospital, a place where people come for rest and healing. This is _most certainly not_ the place to be having this sort of discussion."

He glared at both of them, not caring at the moment that he needed to look up to either of them. Tyler was the first to back down. Gibbs glared at him for another moment.

"Tyler, I had Gibbs in the basement going over things the two of you would need to know. My presence was troublesome to you, and so it seemed the best course of action." He rounded on Gibbs when the older man snorted. "And you, you yourself know the concern you felt. Do not make little of his fear, Jethro. He did everything he could. Were he not paying attention, we'd not be having this discussion. Do I make myself clear?"

Two heads nodded.

"Very well. I am going to see if I can get some answers, and the two of you work this out. Anthony does _not_ need the added tension the two of you would give him by this… spat."

The elderly ME stormed out of the waiting room, leaving the two angry men staring at one another. He planned on speaking to Brad and making sure that unless they'd made up, or at least drawn a truce, that neither would be allowed to see Tony. Ducky groaned as he realized that for the first time in his life, he had been driven mad to the point of he _needed_ a sip or two of scotch.

When he returned to the room ten minutes later with a bit of news, the temperature of the room had chilled considerably. Jethro sat on one side of the room, while Tyler sat on the other.

"Have you gentlemen worked this out?" His voice held iron. Gibbs nodded. Ducky looked to Tyler, who nodded, as well. "Would you like to hear the news on Anthony, or are you two still too busy being angry with one another to really care?"

"Yes!" As if being pulled by a master puppeteer, both men stood and crossed the room, standing by one another. They wore similar expressions of hope mixed with fear, and Ducky felt bad for a single moment that he'd been so hard on them. However, as harshness had been needed, the feeling didn't last long.

"Anthony is dealing with a bout of stagnant hypoxia, meaning that his lungs are bringing oxygen into his body, but due to low blood pressure, caused by the narcotic he was given for pain, is making it nearly impossible for his blood to carry that oxygen to his organs."

"Should I not have given him pain medication?" Gibbs voice was soft.

"No, my boy. You didn't do anything wrong. This is a side-effect, and while it's unfortunate, it was unavoidable." He motioned to the row of chairs beside them. "Come and sit. I'll explain further."

Once the men were seated, he began.

"Anthony is currently on oxygen, and his vitals are being closely monitored." Two heads nodded. "He was given a medication that will help raise his blood pressure, and Dr. Pitt and I hope that the medication, combined with the oxygen, will help Anthony get the oxygen he needs."

"What happens if it doesn't work?"

"If he declines further, he'll be intubated." Tyler's eyes widened. He'd seen that done once on a TV show.

"Isn't that where they stick that tube down someone's throat?"

"Yes, my boy, it is. It's uncomfortable, I'm afraid, but sometimes, it is necessary." He squeezed Tyler's shoulder gently. "However, until we know exactly how Anthony will respond to the medications, we won't worry about that. It's simply a possibility in the future."

The three men sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. A nurse appeared in the doorway and nodded to Ducky.

"We've got him settled, Hon. One of you can come back. I'm sorry, but only one at a time."

Gibbs stood without a glance at either of his companions. He followed the nurse to Tony's room, where he stood over the younger man, his fingers stroking his hair gently. He opened his mouth several times to speak, only to find that words caught in his throat.

############

In the waiting room, Tyler stood and paced nervously. He looked at the older man a few times, unsure if he should stay or leave. It was obvious, and becoming more obvious by the minute, that he wasn't really needed here. He'd had a job, and he'd screwed it up, leading to Tony being here again.

"You are not at fault, Tyler." Ducky spoke softly. "He was given a pain medication, and one of the side effects was that his blood pressure could drop low. It simply did."

"But I missed something, didn't I? That's why he got so bad so fast." Tyler ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, I was walking back and forth. I'd have…"

"Not seen the symptoms any faster if you had been at his side." Ducky motioned for Tyler to come sit back beside him. "Let me ask you a question."

"Shoot." Tyler sat, leaving a chair between them.

"What would have happened had you not been upstairs with Tony? What if Jethro and I had even been in the hall discussing Tony's condition?" Tyler thought for a moment, and Ducky watched as the answer was written across his face.

"He'd have died."

"Exactly. So you did the best you could. We couldn't be there, as it would have been worrisome to Anthony to discuss the ins and outs of his care with him there."

"He was asleep." Tyler's brow furrowed.

"Ah, yes, but as Jethro and I have learned, young Anthony is remarkably cognizant of all that happens around him when he's sleeping."

Silence enveloped them, and as Ducky searched his mind for a way to breach the emotions that distanced Tyler from him, Gibbs searched his own mind for something to say to the man who was in so many was like his son. He was a man of few words. He didn't want to change that, but at this moment, he'd give anything to have words.

"I don't tell you things like I should, Di-Tony." Gibbs sighed. "I should say things like 'I'm proud of you', and 'you do good', and 'you're the son Shannon and I would have loved to have had'. I guess that last one is a moot point. You had a mom and dad, even if they weren't the best." He stroked Tony's hair, letting the soft strands run through his fingers. "You gotta wake up and come home." His voice broke. "Do it for me, huh?"

Gibbs lost track of the time he'd stood at Tony's side. The only sound that broke through his reverie was a nurse who quietly asked if he wanted to stay, or if he was ready to let his other son come back.

"I'm gonna stay." Gibbs voice was quiet. "Can you tell Tyler that he can come tomorrow?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't call me sir."

#########

"What do you mean, I can't see him?" Tyler's voice rose with each word.

"Come along, Tyler." Ducky took the younger man's arm. "We're only going to sit here all night waiting. Let's go get some dinner, and bring Jethro some coffee before we head home for the evening."

"I don't want to leave." Tyler sounded far younger than his years.

"Sometimes we need to, my boy, and now is one of those times."

Tyler started to argue once more, when he realized that the older man was right. He knew how he'd felt when Charlie died. He'd have been furious if one of their new acquaintances had put themselves into the thick of things when his husband had been murdered.

"So what do we do, then?"

"We'll go for dinner, and then I'll drive you home."

"Ok." Tyler followed a step behind, and as they waited for the elevator, he spoke, uncertainty lacing through his voice. "Ducky?"

"Yes, my boy?"

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How can you be around dead people all day?" Tyler's voice caught. "I mean…"

"Do you mean to ask how I can spend my work days surrounded by those who have left this life?" Ducky looked up to Tyler, who nodded. "That is an interesting question, and would you like the short answer, or the long one?"

"The long one, I guess." Tyler shrugged.

"Everyone has a story to tell, young man. Sometimes, the only story they have left is the tale of their demise." Tyler nodded silently, so Ducky continued. "There are times when I am able to help them tell that tale."

"Like you found the bullet in Charlie?" Tyler's voice was barely a whisper.

"Exactly." Ducky spoke softly, making his tone as gentle as possible. "The team would have been able to find who killed him, but it would have taken much longer." He shrugged slightly. "I suppose the knowledge, or the idea, that I am able to help people find justice for the wrongs committed against them, gives me the courage and ability to do what I do."

"Do you ever have nightmares?"

"Sometimes." Ducky drew a deep breath. "There are times when a person touches me, and I find that my mind has a hard time letting them go."

"How do you let them go?" Tyler tensed, certain that he'd just asked the wrong question.

"I find them justice." Ducky drew in a deep breath. "Sometimes, it takes a while, and they prey upon my mind until I'm able to help bring them closure. I guess you could say that the investment I make is over when the case closes."

"Have you ever lost anyone close to you?" Tyler's voice remained quiet.

"Yes, I have."

"How did you deal with it?"

"I reminded myself every day that I need to breathe." Ducky saw a face flash before him as he recalled his young lover who had died far too young. "It's not about being brave and facing the world and proving something, Tyler."

"What do you mean?"

"If you prove that you're still alive or that you're stronger than the mountain that you face, then you end up like Jethro. He has chosen to use anger to help him deal with the losses in his life."

"What did you choose?"

"I chose to climb the mountain, rather than glare at it."

"What does that mean?"

"Climbing the mountain is as simple as breathing. You get up every morning, and rather than dread the day you must face without the one you love, you focus on how you can live. It's about taking their memory, and the memory of the love you shared into new experiences. Don't be afraid of new relationships, for they'll not all end badly, Tyler. When the time is right, you'll know you're ready to move on, and you'll know how to move on.

"Learning to live again isn't a race, my friend. Learning to live again is a slow, quiet walk. Sometimes, you walk through the desert, sometimes the forest, and sometimes, you have to swim in oceans of grief. All of those are necessary. The trip over the mountain sometimes goes into a valley, and sometimes, you think you're at the top, only to find that you're nowhere near."

"I know that one." Tyler blushed. "Sorry I got sick earlier when I saw you."

"It's a natural reaction, my boy. Nothing to apologize for." He smiled, glad that he was able to reach the tender man before him. "I'm sorry that seeing me was a shock."

"I saw you, and it was like I was back…"

"In that room." Ducky nodded. "Yes, I know that feeling. Is there any way I can help you? I don't wish to cause you trauma."

"I think you've done it already." Tyler smiled a bit. "Thanks."

########

Gibbs sat by Tony, looking up occasionally from his crossword puzzle. Nearly two hours had passed, and he wasn't sure if Tyler and Ducky would return for the evening, or if he'd sufficiently scared off the younger man.

"Hope you wake up soon, Tony. Got some folks that want to see you, and I'm not leaving until you wake up." The only response was the beeping of monitors. "I sent Tyler and Ducky to get some dinner. They'll probably be back. Tyler wasn't happy about leaving."

Gibbs stood and paced in the small room. "I know I say to never apologize, but I need to apologize." He took in a deep breath. "I got mad at Tyler, and blamed him for you getting sick." He shrugged. "I know it's not his fault, and I wasn't exactly forthcoming with an apology to him. He sort of accepted the blame when Ducky told us to sort it out. And I don't know how to make it right."

Jethro looked at his sleeping second.

"I wish you were awake, but then again, maybe I'm glad you're not awake. You'd have slapped me silly already." Gibbs smiled sheepishly. "And the funny thing? Neither of you even realize it yet. He's not ready, and you're confused." Gibbs scoffed. "Even with those odds, I've screwed it up for the two of you.

"Listen, I messed up, ok? I think Tyler's gonna move out, and he's probably gonna not come around anymore. And it's my fault. Any ideas on how to fix it?" He looked at the unconscious man. "Yeah, same here. Big fat nothing."

#########

Tyler sat fiddling with his steak while Ducky regaled him with stories of Gibbs and the team, and various stunts they had pulled.

"What's wrong, Tyler?"

"Do I need to look for a new place to live? Gibbs is pretty pissed."

"He may be angry right now, but there's no reason to pack your bags yet. He gets protective of Anthony."

"Right. So I'm supposed to just let him yell at me?" Ducky's eyes narrowed.

"Did he not apologize to you?"

"No." Tyler looked down at the table. "Said he didn't need to. Something about rule 6, whatever that is. And then he told me that he wasn't going to talk about it. Just let it go."

"Well, I'll have a word with Jethro."

"Don't make waves, Ducky. If he's going to…"

"Trust me, my boy. We've known one another long enough for me to have a word with him when it's needed. Now." He met Tyler's gaze. "Do you feel comfortable staying there by yourself tonight, or would you prefer to stay with me? My mother lives with me, and can be quite excitable, I must warn you. However, I don't want you to be alone if you're not comfortable with that."

"I don't want to be in the way." Tyler lowered his eyes.

"Nonsense. If it was an imposition, I'd have not offered. If you want company, I'd be more than happy to offer you our guest bedroom."

"Thanks." Tyler blushed slightly. "I think I'll take you up on that. Sometimes, that house is pretty big."

Ducky looked at his watch. His eyes opened a bit with surprise.

"Well, my dear boy. We really should return to the hospital before visiting hours are ended."

"Not sure I'm wanted there."

"Nonsense." Ducky fixed the young man with a firm gaze. "You want to be there, and should not let Jethro bully you into staying away. If necessary, I will speak with him. Hopefully, his temper has cooled sufficiently for him to be reasonable."

They drove back to the hospital in an easy silence, which was something Ducky rarely enjoyed, but he knew his young friends' mind was whirling with thoughts that he needed to not intrude upon. The nurses reminded them that they had only 30 minutes before the end of visiting hours, and Ducky smiled and nodded, holding up the multi-cup carrier he carried.

"Just bringing Agent Gibbs coffee."

One of the older nurses rolled her eyes and went back to her paperwork. She knew Gibbs, and wasn't exactly fond of him. He was demanding, exasperating, and if it weren't for that carrier currently traveling down the hall, she was sure she'd be guilty of murder by the morning.

"Why are you letting them both go?" One of the newly hired graduates whispered.

"With Gibbs, you just let him do whatever he wants. Trust me. It's easier that way."

#######

They were just outside of the room, nearly ready to announce their presence when they heard the soft mummer of Gibbs' voice. He didn't speak loudly, but with his timbre, it wasn't needed, as his words naturally carried.

"_Listen, I messed up, ok? I think Tyler's gonna move out, and he's probably gonna not come around anymore. And it's my fault. Any ideas on how to fix it?" He looked at the unconscious man. "Yeah, same here. Big fat nothing."_

Ducky tugged Tyler back and motioned with his head for the younger man to go have a seat in the waiting room. Tyler sighed, but he nodded and retreated. He wasn't sure what he expected from any conversation following that, but at least Gibbs was sorry he'd gotten mad. Maybe he'd not have to move, after all. Maybe.

When a shadow darkened the door several minutes later, he wasn't expecting to see Gibbs standing there. He stood, rubbing his hands on his jeans nervously.

"Hey." Gibbs entered and motioned for Tyler to sit. "Need to talk to ya, kiddo."

"Um, ok." Tyler bit his lip.

"I screwed up earlier." Gibbs looked so uncomfortable, that Tyler nearly felt bad for him. "Ducky and I, well, we should have stayed in the living room, or even the spare room upstairs." He ran his hands through is hair. "If you hadn't been there, he'd have died."

"Thanks, Gibbs." The older man nodded.

"Ducky told me that you're thinking of moving out." Gibbs spoke softly, almost as if he was afraid of spooking his unexpected roommate.

"Thought you wanted me to."

"No, you're welcome to stay." Gibbs cleared his throat. "I was mad, and you were the closest thing I could get mad _at_."

"Don't make a habit of it, ok?" Tears stood in Tyler's eyes.

"Sure, kid." Gibbs wrapped his arm around Tyler's shoulders and pulled him close, giving him a one-armed hug. "Call me on it from now on, if I do it, ok?" Tyler nodded.

He figured he'd need to go home for more than just a change of clothes. If he was this emotional, it could only mean one thing, and it was the bane of his existence.

"Go home and get some sleep, Tyler." Gibbs patted his shoulder. "Ducky said you'd stay with him tonight?"

"Yeah." Tyler sniffed. "Sorry. Not sure why I'm crying."

"I have that effect on people." Gibbs smirked. "I'll call if anything changes, ok?"

"Even if he wakes up?" Tyler sounded so young that Gibbs felt even worse for his earlier behavior.

"Especially if he wakes up."

#######

Tyler plumped his pillow once more, turning over as he curled into a ball. He hated cramps. He'd listened to girls all through high school complain about them, and had always wanted to tell them that he knew exactly what they were talking about. His abdomen clenched once more, and he fought the urge to moan. If only Midol worked…

He turned over once more, wishing his back wasn't completely tensed. He felt like someone had punched both of his kidneys and then stomped on them for fun. He hated having girl parts, but they were just as much a part of his body as his guy parts, and he refused, and always would refuse, to have them removed. He'd come to have a peace about it during his college years, and even though he had days like this, he'd not change his body for the world.

Tyler pressed his hands to his stomach. He wondered how things were going at the hospital, and if he was certain Gibbs wouldn't kill him, he'd call.

Across town, Gibbs sat dozing in the chair next to Tony. It was now a little after 2, and the younger man was resting peacefully, at least. The steady sound of the monitors lulled the older man to sleep, even though he had determined to stay awake.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but he knew he was waking up. Something was different. The monitors. Gibbs sat bolt upright, and was on his feet seconds later. He looked down at Tony, and began to coax him into consciousness.

When Tony opened his eyes a few minutes later, Gibbs smiled as he pressed the nurse call button. One of the nurses had already been in, and had requested that he page the station when the younger man woke.

"Morning, DiNozzo." Tony licked his lips. "Want some water?"

"Yeah." The word was whispered, but it was music to Jethro's ears. He held the straw to Tony's mouth, letting him get a small sip.

"Glad you're back, son. Keep resting, ok?" The nurse came in just as Tony slipped back into a restful sleep. He ran his hand over Tony's hair. "I'll be back in a minute. Not leaving." Gibbs took a deep breath. "Need to make a call."

Tyler was nearly asleep when his phone rang. He reached out, squinting in the darkness at the caller ID. _Gibbs._ He sat up, even as he flipped his phone open.

"Hey, Gibbs."

"Won't keep ya long, but I wanted to let you know that he woke up."

"Is he ok?" Tyler sounded so anxious that Gibbs smiled.

"He's still sick, but he's rounded a corner. He'll be ok, it's just gonna take time."

"Thanks." Tyler whispered the word, wondering if there was something else he needed to ask. He'd never been on this side of a phone call like this before.

"Go back to sleep, Tyler. I'll call again after we've all had some sleep, ok?"

"'K." Tyler tried to hide a gasp as a particularly hard cramp hit him.

"You ok?"

"Cramps." Gibbs smirked and told him where to find the hot water bottle that Ducky kept on hand for muscle cramps. He'd only needed it a couple of times, but the last time was after Victoria Mallard had mistaken him for a furniture mover, and he'd needed to deal with a back spasm before he'd driven home.

######

Ducky dropped Tyler off at the hospital the next morning, per Gibbs instructions. The silver haired agent met the younger man in the hall and had a quiet conversation with him about how Tony had passed the night, and what medications he'd already had.

"Oh." Gibbs turned around. "Abby may come. She's the one who's lab you slept in."

Tyler nodded. Gibbs saw him swallow.

"She's not scary, Kiddo. If you start to panic, just step into the hall. You'll be ok, alright?"

"Yeah."

"Good man." Gibbs turned and strode purposefully down the hall.

Tyler sat by Tony's bed and began his quiet vigil. The morning passed slowly. He was afraid to look away from Tony. They were in the hospital, but what if the machines didn't work, and the nurses didn't hear a buzzer going off if he had another problem. Worries and fears swept through the young man's mind. He pushed them aside as much as he could, all the while focusing on his friends chest as it rose and fell.

The lunch hour came and went, and Tyler sat. He stood only to pace the room or to run to the restroom. He didn't leave his Tony's side for lunch, even when the nurses tried to persuade him to go. By three, he'd begun to wish he'd worn a bra, as his breasts were aching with the combination of his cycle and his binder.

He went to the small bathroom in Tony's room once more and removed the binder that kept his chest from looking like he had breasts. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he was able to really inhale for the first time in hours. He opened the door and froze.

"Hi." He kept his voice calm, even as his emotions bounced. He recognized the tall Goth, and swallowed hard. He forced himself to stay calm, and to remember that she'd been so nice to him when…

"Hey." Abby smiled. "I was hoping we were past these days."

"Me, too." Tyler stepped up to Tony's bed. "He's been sleeping most of the time." Abby watched him carefully. "He's woken up a few times, but…"

"You've been here all day, huh?"

"Yeah." Tyler's head flew up at her interruption. "Ducky dropped me off this morning."

"Guess that's why the bossman didn't want me coming earlier. I was pretty much done with my work, but he wouldn't sign off for me to leave early." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you afraid of us or something?"

"No." Tyler squeaked. "Maybe."

"Why? We were nice to you." Her gaze didn't let up.

"I met you when Charlie died, and I'm sorry, but memories of that day aren't good ones. I'm not afraid of you, but I have these…feelings that creep up." Tyler's face turned red. "I threw up when I saw Ducky. So please, don't think it's you, or it's because you've not been nice. It's just…"

"Too much?" Her tone had changed, and she seemed to understand her companion a bit more.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded. "That's it, I guess." He smoothed down Tony's blankets. "Do you want me to leave? I can go down to the cafeteria and grab some lunch or something."

"It's four in the afternoon!" Abby's eyes grew round. "You didn't eat?" She rounded on him almost fiercely. "You get down to the cafeteria and eat, young man." Her nostrils flared with anger. "If you're gonna be trusted with taking care of Tony, you have to be trusted to take care of yourself, too."

"I didn't want to leave him."

"Even Gibbs knows better than that, Tyler." She pointed to the door. "He goes for coffee about every hour. Being gone for ten minutes won't hurt him. He's in a hospital and hooked up to billions of monitors." He stood gaping at her. "You're still here." She crossed her arms.

"I'm going." Tyler fairly raced down the hall, his arms crossed over his chest to keep his "extra pieces" from bouncing too much.

Abby sat in the chair that Tyler had occupied most of the day and took Tony's hand in hers.

"What are we gonna do with you, huh?" She sat quietly until Gibbs came in a few minutes later.

"Hey." He greeted her, glancing around. "Where's Tyler?"

"I sent him to get something to eat." Her voice dripped acid.

"Yeah? And you're mad about that? You sent him."

"I'm mad that he's been sitting here all day, Gibbs, and didn't eat. You're telling me all about how he's doing so well, and he's following the rules, and the first thing he does? He skips eating."

"I'll talk to him, Abs."

"Gibbs, if he can't take care of himself, can we trust him with Tony?" Abby looked sorrowfully up at her friend.

"Yeah, Abs, we can. I know we can. I'll have a talk with Tyler, ok? You just sit with Tony." Gibbs walked to Tony's side and rubbed his shoulder. "I'll be back, DiNozzo. Just need to have a talk with Tyler." He paused a moment. "You just keep fighting, ok?"

With a nod to Abby, Gibbs stalked out of the room and headed for the elevator. He tried to sort out what he was feeling, not so much to know his inner-self, but so he could talk to the kid and not scare him off. Part of him wanted to be angry, while the largest section of his being was worried.

He stepped from the elevator and walked down the hall to the cafeteria, not entirely sure of what he'd find when he got there. He prayed that Tyler was eating something, even if it was just chocolate. He strode through the doors and slowed his pace.

Tyler was sitting in a corner, looking miserably down at the salad and sandwich he'd purchased. He wiped unashamedly at a tear, and Gibbs felt the urge to retreat. Damn. He forgot the kid was having his cycle, and as such, was on an emotional roller-coaster that would need more than a pat on the shoulder and a nod.

Before he was noticed, Gibbs headed back for the hall, pulling out his phone as he walked.

"Hi, Handsome!" Victoria's chipper voice rang to his ear. "What can I do ya for?"

"Hey." He smirked, wishing he had a comeback that wouldn't give her hope, even if she knew there wasn't any. "Need a favor."

"Of course you do, Agent Hotness. And don't think I realize you trying to bite back some smart remark that can be taken many ways." She tsk'd in his ear. "If you wanna find the right lady, you really need to learn how to flirt."

"Flirting isn't my thing."

"Well, it needs to be." She cleared her throat. "Ok, lay it on me, Sweet Stuff. What do you need?"

Gibbs explained the situation with Tony and Tyler. The irrepressible woman was quiet for a moment before she asked where Tyler was right then. Gibbs told her, and she asked him to go wait with the young man while she drove over.

"What do I say to him?"

"Anything but "take another bite", Gibbs." Her words were soft. "Ask him if he's gotten enough to drink. Ask him if his food is good, but don't order him to eat."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He heard her engine turn over. "Be patient with him. He'll eat when he's able to. He just needs someone to guide him along."

"How do you know?"

"My brother is anorexic." Gibbs listened as the line went dead. She must have pulled from her garage.

He pocketed his phone and rubbed his forehead. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer, hoping that he'd be heard. He knew he was in over his head, but he saw so much of himself in Tyler, that he needed to help the kid keep from going down the same path he'd taken.

"Hey." Gibbs sat down, and smiled easily over at his young roommate. "I heard Abby chased you out of the room for a bit."

"Yeah." Tyler fiddled with his silverware.

"How are you, son?"

"I'm fine."

"Really?" Gibbs tapped Tyler's hand with one of his fingers. "The circles under your eyes tell me a different story. Were you able to get back to sleep last night?"

"For a bit."

"What woke you up again?" Tyler shrugged in reply. Gibbs sighed. Two non-communicative people sitting at a table trying to communicate was not going to work.

"I went up to see Tony before coming down here, and he's resting well. You've taken good care of him today." Tyler nodded a bit, his cheeks tinged with a bit of pink.

"He slept a lot."

"Yeah? Did he cough?"

"Some." Tyler wiped away another tear. "He had some junk come up a few times."

"Has he been in pain?"

"Yeah." Tyler's voice barely reached Gibbs' ears. "He wanted something for a while, and they couldn't give him anything."

"Must've been hard to see." Tyler nodded, turning tortured eyes up to Gibbs.

"Why weren't you here? What was so important that you had to go to work?"

"I can't talk about it yet, Tyler." Gibbs' mouth was suddenly set in a firm line. "There's been a threat to national security."

"So what would happen if I wasn't here? Would he have been alone all day? What if he'd died, and no one was here?" Tyler's voice rose with each word spoken.

"Tyler…" Gibbs held up his hand.

"No, Gibbs!" Tyler was nearly shouting. "It's not ok! You promised that you'd be here for Tony! You promised that he'd not be alone! Where are you? Even when you're home, you're not there. You're in your basement! Why make promises you don't mean to keep?" The young man stood, his arms flailing as he spoke. "You're no better than my mom, or Sharon, or…"

"Tyler!" Victoria's voice cut through the air. "Sit your ass down, boy."

"What are you doing here?" Tyler's eyes narrowed.

"Gibbs called me, and asked me to come stay with you for a while. He's gonna go sit with Tony, and you're going to have a rest."

"I can rest on my own."

"Not tonight, you can't." Her head wove from side to side as she spoke. "You're in here causing a scene, Sweetie, and that's gonna get you nothing but trouble." Her voice softened. "So sit down, and let's talk, huh?"

Gibbs watched as Tyler's face crumpled. He'd obviously made the right decision when he'd called her. Tyler sat heavily in his chair, new tears standing in his eyes.

"I'm gonna go back upstairs, Tyler." Gibbs patted Tyler's shoulder. "If you need me, that's where I'll be, and I'll be there all night. I promise I won't leave." He mouthed a thank you to Victoria as he walked away. A glance back once he reached the door showed Tyler's head buried on Victoria's broad shoulder.

By the time he reached Tony's room, Abby was sitting quietly by his bed. Her hand held his, and Gibbs simply watched for a moment. He knew Abby understood the problem, as she'd had to process the note that had been left on Director Morrow's desk.

The silver-haired agent wished he could tell Tony and Tyler what was going on, but they really were safer not knowing. With a sigh born of fatigue and worry, Gibbs stepped into the room.

"Hey, Abs. How 'bout you go home? Get some rest."

#########

Victoria held Tyler until she felt the tension leave his body. Once she was fairly certain that he was calmed, she pulled back and looked at him. Her hand caressed down the side of his face.

"Feeling better, Honey?"

"I guess." His voice was flat.

"Well, if you're better, are you ready to head to my house?" She winked. "I'm in desperate need of a girl-talk night."

"I should finish this." Tyler looked at his plate in disgust.

"Hospital food?" Victoria's nose crinkled. "Gag me." Tyler chuckled in spite of himself. "I'm all about one of those fabulous pre-made pizzas with breadsticks that we can pick up on the way home. You game? Cuz, I don't know about you, but it looks like someone sneezed on that sandwich."

"It's avocado." He smiled as he picked up the bread to show her. "See, it's mashed and spread."

"Honey, that's not supposed to be eaten. It's green and slimy. Come on, let's go get something hot and greasy."

"If we're getting breadsticks, they've gotta be the cheesy kind." Tyler stood and dumped his tray.

"They make ones without cheese?" Victoria's eyes were round as she feigned shock.

#########

Gibbs stood and stretched. He'd been sitting for hours, and was stiffening up. He began to pace the room, and on his second trip, he noticed that Tony was starting to wake. His steps carried him quickly to his second's side.

"Tony? Can you hear me?"

"Ty…" Tony fell back to sleep, his face relaxing.

"Hey, Tony, can you wake up for me? You were getting there." He stroked the younger man's arm.

Gibbs watched Tony's face as he struggled towards consciousness. He licked his lips, and his brow furrowed. Finally, after what seemed forever, Tony's eyes cracked open. He looked up, and his brow furrowed again.

"Boss?" He gasped after speaking.

"You're doing good, Tony."

"Where…"

"I sent him home to rest." Gibbs smiled inwardly. "He was here all day, and he needs to sleep. He's with Victoria, you remember her, right?"

"Yeah." Tony's eyes slid shut. "Good people."

"Yep." Gibbs pressed his hand to Tony's forehead. "She's one of the best." Moments later, Tony was asleep once more.

########

"Don't tell me you're done, young man." Victoria looked down at the plate Tyler was setting in the sink.

"I had two pieces."

"And I got two pizzas and breadsticks." Her eyebrow quirked. "You've had two slices of pizza, no breadsticks, and you're calling it done?"

"Yeah?" He pulled his plate back out of the sink. "I'm not?"

"No, you're not." She shook her head. "You're eating something else. Are you going to have salad, bread, pizza, something else? But you're not done eating. Look at you." She lifted up his shirt. "Skin and bones."

"I've gained some weight back." Tyler defended himself.

"Yeah, you have." Victoria took his plate from him and set it on the counter. "Come here, Sweet Stuff." She led Tyler over to her couch, where she patted the cushion next to her. "Have a sit with me."

"You're scaring me, Vic."

"You scared me, Tyler." She reached over and held his hand. "I know I wasn't the best friend, and I didn't come around as often as I should have." Her breath hitched. "We talked on the phone, and I thought that was enough, Baby. I didn't realize you were having such a hard time, and I'm sorry I missed it. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you."

"It's not your fault, Vic."

"No, but I could have been a better friend." She sighed heavily again. "I was so scared that day when you came in to hand in those blue-prints. You'd lost more weight than the last time I saw you, and then when I went to check on you…" Her voice broke. "Tyler, Baby, I thought I'd found you dead. You didn't seem to be breathing, and I couldn't find your heart-beat. I was so scared."

"I'm sorry." His voice was whisper quiet.

"I know sometimes it seems like no one cares." She watched as Tyler nodded slightly. After a moment, she turned and faced him, tucking her leg under her. "Tyler, I want you to know that you have a lot of people who care about you."

Tyler felt…conflicted. He wasn't sure what to think. Yes, Sharon had come out when he'd been hospitalized, but he'd not heard from her since. Even calls to her house had resulted in…nothing. Gibbs was growing more distant by the day, it seemed. Tony was sick, and Tyler was more worried than he wanted to admit. His emotions played easily across his face, and Victoria wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Sweetie, do you know how I ended up at the hospital tonight, and knew where to find you?"

"Gibbs."

"Yes, Gibbs." She nodded. "Do you know why he called me?"

"He doesn't want to have to deal with me. I didn't eat today, and he's pissed."

"He's not angry, Tyler. He was scared. He called me and asked me to come talk to you. He wanted to be sure that he didn't say something to upset you more. He's so worried about not hurting you."

"Oh, fuck." Tyler hid his face in his hands. "I chewed his ass out."

"Yes, you did." Victoria smiled. "You chewed him proper."

"It's not funny, Vic."

"No, but you needed to say it, and some of it, he needed to hear."

"Shit." Tyler stood up and started to pace.

"What now?"

"He doesn't like apologies, so an "I'm sorry" is gonna go about as far as Andrew's dry spells."

"That man-ho?" Victoria laughed. "He's on boy-toy number who knows what, and it's only half-way through the year."

"Yeah, like I said, one of his dry spells."

"Sweetie, that man couldn't get it up if he tried. Why do you think he has men come and go on a conveyor belt? We're talking performance issues, Darling." She batted her eyes as she said the last sentence, putting on a fake "ritzy" accent.

"It's a wonder he's able to get any, really." Tyler shook his head. "I'm pretty sure he's gone through just about everyone in the tri-state area."

"I'm pretty sure he's covered more territory than that." Victoria rolled her eyes. "That man could spit into a sterile saline and start a new civilization."

"Oh, that's nasty!" Tyler laughed. "True, but nasty."

"Good, so now that we have Andrew's nasty slutty life covered, and we know that you have to make it right with Gibbs somehow, and we've proven that you're skin and bones, what are you going to eat?" She eyed him as she walked back to the kitchen.

"Another slice of pizza, I guess, and maybe some breadsticks."

"Good." Victoria offered him a feral smile. "And after that, I have ice cream, my scrawny friend."

The two were about half way through their dessert when Tyler set his melting bowl of ice cream down.

"Victoria?" She just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course." The woman set her bowl aside, as well. "What's on your mind?"

"Tony." Tyler turned pink. "Now, before you start to tease, let me explain the whole mess to you, and maybe you can help me sort it out."

"I'm all ears, and trust me, there's a time to tease, and this isn't it."

"Thanks." He sighed, feeling a relief he'd not known he needed. "Tony's my friend, and well, if I'm honest, he's probably my best friend." Victoria nodded. "When he got sick, I felt like…" He waved his hands. "I don't know what I felt, but it didn't feel good."

"Just talk it out, Tyler. It's ok. If you use the wrong words, I'm not gonna get upset over it, and if you want to phrase it different after you say it, that's ok to. Just talk it out."

"I'm afraid to." They sat in silence, and Victoria wondered if she'd need to restart the conversation when he suddenly rose to his feet and began pacing.

"I love Charlie, you know that." He looked to her, earnestness flooding his eyes. "I'm always going to love him, and I know that. Hell, I think I'm still in love with him, if that makes any sense."

"It does." Victoria sat back, pleased that her friend trusted her enough to talk.

"I guess I'm all confused, because when Tony first got sick, I had this sinking feeling, like I was losing a part of myself all over again." He resumed his pacing. "And that doesn't make any sense, because we're not dating, and I know I'm not ready to date yet. I mean, it's not fair to even think about falling in love with someone when you're still in love with someone who's passed.

"I'm not making any sense, am I?" He looked over at her, but didn't wait for a response. "We've never dated. We've gone out to restaurants, and we've played basketball, and I've introduced him to some of my friends, and he's introduced me to some of his, but it's always been as just friends."

"And you're confused about how you feel?"

"Yes!" The word exploded from Tyler. "I'm so confused. Why the hell do I feel this tormented over Tony being sick if I don't have feelings for him? And how can I have feelings for him if I'm still in love with Charlie? And…"

"Slow down a minute, and let's figure out how you feel about Tony, ok?"

"Ok." Tyler nodded. "How do I do that?"

"First off, how much do you value your friendship with him?"

"He's the most important friendship I've got, Victoria." Tyler lowered his eyes. "I think about him all the time, and I'm always wondering what he'd want me to do."

"What sort of things would that be, Sweetie?"

"When we go out for dinner, would he want me to dress more like a guy, or more like the stereotypical gay guy, or does he want me to be comfortable?"

"And what answer do you come up with?"

"He'll want me comfortable." Tyler ran his hands down his face. "And when I know he's coming for dinner, I always want to make sure that it's really good. I mean, I cook good meals, and you know that." Victoria nodded. It was well known that her young friend could be a bad ass in the kitchen. "But when he's coming, I want it to be something that…pops, you know?"

"You wanna show off for him." Victoria tried to keep the smile from her voice.

"Yeah." Tyler's ears turned red again. "How pathetic is that?"

"It sounds to me like he makes you happy."

"He does." Tyler nodded. "He makes me laugh, but it's not just that. He doesn't treat me differently, you know? He can shoot hoops with me just as easily as he can go dancing or tell me that he likes my earrings. It's like he doesn't care that I'm weird."

"You're not weird, Tyler. You're intersexed, and that's all about how you were born. Now…that covers how he makes you happy, but what about him? Do you want to do stuff to please him, besides cooking for him?"

"Yes." This time, Tyler's voice came out in almost a whine. "I'm always thinking of stupid stuff to do so I can see him smile. I love his smile, and I'm always trying to get him to laugh, just so I can get to see it."

"But?" This question earned Victoria a glare.

"But I want more than just his laugh, too." He sighed and flopped down beside her. "I want to see him happy in everything. I want his days at work to be easy, and I want him to get better from this plague business, and I want him to…"

"You want him to be able to have the perfect life."

"I've got it bad, don't I?"

"Maybe." Victoria grinned. "Do you miss him?"

"What?"

"Do you miss him? As in, right now, you've only been away from him for a few hours, and he's been asleep for days because he's been sick, but you've been at his side. So tell me…do you miss him?"

"Again, that's a yes." Tyler ran his hands down his face. "I'm screwed. I'm hopelessly in love with my best friend."

"Probably." Victoria scrunched her nose as Tyler glared at her. "Gibbs said you looked like you'd not slept, and I have to agree with that. What kept you up?"

"Cramps." Tyler's hand went to his stomach.

"Anything else?"

"Dreams of Tony."

"Yeah, you've got it bad." She laughed when he crumpled over, groaning into her lap. "Come on, Ty. It's not the end of the world."

"Yes, it is." The young man sat up. "My very straight, very handsome, very skirt-chasing best friend has become the object of my affections while I'm still very much in love with my late husband. How is this not a problem?"

"You've got plenty of time while you're helping him heal to sort this all out." Victoria's eyes grew bright. "Just think, Tyler, you can give him sponge baths!"

"Not helping!"

"He'll need help getting in and out of the shower!"

"Oh, shut up already!" Tyler leaned back against the couch. His words were lacking any real heat, and if anything, humor was taking over their conversation.

"Ok, I'll change the subject, but only if I can pick your brain."

"About what?"

"Tell me all you know about Agent Fabulous."

"Gibbs?"

"Honey, I'm not about to try to snatch your man, so who else do you think I'm talking about?"

Tyler laughed.

"Babe, if you think Gibbs is a catch, let me fill you in on some things." He slid his eyes over to her. "He hides in his basement drinking bourbon and building a boat. He cooks steaks in his fireplace, and he doesn't watch anything on his TV except the news and the farming reports. He lives and breathes his job, and he's got at least two alimony payments."

"You've got to be kidding on that last one."

"Nope. I asked him why he had this broken down table, and I got an earful on the evils of marriage, divorce lawyers, and wicked witch ex-wives. Apparently, it was the anniversary of one of his divorces."

"That poor man."

"Oh, no, Victoria. I know that look, and I'm telling you right now that Gibbs is a great friend, but he's shitty at relationships. He loves to remind people that the second B in his name stands for bastard. Don't even go there."

"Spoil sport." She pinched his side. "Come on. We need to get to sleep. I promised Agent Hotness that I'd make sure you rested and ate. We got the eating part done, but now you need to sleep."

"Right." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Get me talking all of this through, and now you expect me to sleep?"

"Yes, I do." Victoria stood up and held out her hand. "Come on. I've only got one bed, so we need to share."

"Only if you keep your hands to yourself."

"No worries of that, Angel." She winked. "I've got me a new fascination, and he loves to proclaim that he's a bastard."

"Oh, shit." Tyler laughed as he pulled on the t-shirt his larger friend handed him. He used the facilities and climbed under the covers, where she was already starting to doze. "You're not really gonna consider him a conquest, are you?"

"No, but it sure is fun to watch you squirm."

He scoffed at her answer as he turned out the light on his side of the bed. Victoria smiled less than five minutes later when Tyler's soft snore rose from his side of the bed. She waited a few minutes to be sure that he was still asleep before rising and heading to the living room.

She pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Gibbs." The man sounded exhausted.

"Hey, Handsome." Victoria couldn't stop the smile that lit her face. "He's sleeping, and he ate really well. How's Tony?"

"He woke up once, but that's it. He's doing well. Just sleeping."

"Good. You make sure you get some sleep, too, Gibbs."

"I will." He paused. "Thanks, Victoria."

"You're welcome. Goodnight."

"Night." Without another word, he hung up. Victoria looked at her phone and smiled. Gibbs may not be dating material, but she knew hurting men, and if there ever was one, it was Gibbs. He was a conquest, all right. He wasn't a conquest for dating, but he was a conquest for living. She wondered if she was up to the task.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or anything associated with it. Well, Season One on DVD, but that was a gift, so I'm not sure it counts…

Note: My sincere apologies for this chapter taking so long. I got sick, and sickness stole my muse. *pouts* So this chapter is far shorter than the ones I usually post, but I wanted to get something up. Thanks to those of you who have favorited, alerted, and even just read. I really appreciate it!

Note: Thanks to my faithful beta, Headbanger, who pushes me along. And double checks my spelling and grammar. Heaven knows I need all the help I can get…

######

Tyler stood at the counter in the house he shared with Gibbs and double checked his lunch. He had two sandwiches, an apple, a banana, a bottle of water, and a diet soda. Gibbs tossed him a bag of pretzels and asked him to put it in.

"I don't eat a lot of these, Gibbs."

"You need the carbs, Kid. Take them, and eat them with your apple."

"But…"

"If you want to argue, I'll have Victoria come and make you eat them."

"You two don't fight fair, you know that?"

"Yep." Gibbs looked at his watch. "Hurry up and eat those eggs. You can have the toast on the way."

They had repeated this same dance for the last two weeks. In the first few days, Victoria had shown up if Gibbs needed to get to work early. She had ensured Tyler's lunch was ready and nutritious, and once done, dropped him off at the hospital on her way to work. If Gibbs was home, he helped Tyler get ready and dropped him off.

Gibbs drove at his usual "sedate" speed, and Tyler stepped out of the car with a sick expression. If he was driving, the trip would have been twenty minutes, yet with Gibbs, it was five. Tyler had never looked at the speedometer, as he really didn't want to know.

Within minutes, he was upstairs in Tony's room. The older man wasn't awake yet, and Tyler enjoyed the quiet, just as he had for the past several days. Tyler adjusted Tony's blanket before sitting down with one of his puzzle books.

Tyler looked up occasionally, and smiled as he watched Tony still sleeping. The man's chest rose and fell in a steady, deep breath instead of the gasping ones that had tormented him for so long. By the time Tyler was nearly finished with his puzzle, Tony was starting to rouse.

His eyes twitched, and then he yawned, but he was still asleep. He burrowed down into his covers, pulling them higher on his chest as he turned onto his side. Tyler snickered, knowing that his next move would be either a sneeze or cough, and that noise would be followed by a low groan.

"Good morning." The volunteer who delivered meals smiled as she walked through the door. "How are you today, Tyler?"

"I'm doing good, Virginia, thanks."

"Looks like he's resting well."

"Nah. He'll be awake soon."

"He's awake now." Tony's sleep-dusky voice sounded from the bed. "Is that coffee I smell?"

"Yep." Tyler started to take lids and seals from various containers. "Reach around and sit yourself up. I think you were goofing around in your sleep again, as your controls are behind your head."

"Weird dreams." Tony coughed as he sat up.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No." The older man motioned to Tyler. "I want my breakfast."

"Well, aren't you just a bundle of Sunshine this morning." Tyler stuck his tongue out at Tony.

"Watch it, Twinkle Toes. I'm a sick man."

"No, you're a healing man, and if you're so bothered by whatever dream you had, you should talk about it."

"Not bothered by it."

"Then change your tone of voice. You sound like you're ready to rip off my head and shit down my throat. Either get it off your chest, or let it go."

"I think I liked you better when you were afraid to speak up for yourself." Tony glowered at Tyler for a moment, and the younger man simply folded his arms and didn't roll the tray over.

"Talking to me like that is not the way to get your breakfast, Agent DiNozzo."

"We're back to that, are we?"

"Yes, it's my asshole name for you."

Tony heaved a sigh and ran his hands down his face. "I dreamed that I went back to work, and I coughed on my desk." He looked away. "This is so stupid."

"No, Tony, it's not. Keep talking."

"I got my team sick, ok? Gibbs, Kate, and McGee were all sick because of me. Instead of me being in that room with the blue lights, they were all in there, and I couldn't go in. Geeze, Tyler. Kate stayed with me when I was sick, and I just dreamed that I stood there and watched her die, and didn't go in. I left all of them alone."

"I'm really sorry, Tony." Tyler wheeled the tray closer and adjusted it so Tony could eat in comfort. "You know that you can't make anyone else sick, right? Ducky and Dr. Pitt explained it all to me, at least in small words that I could understand, anyway, and there's no way you can make anyone else sick. I promise."

"Thanks, man." Tony reached out and grasped Tyler's hand for a moment. "I really appreciate all that you're doing for me. I know you've got stuff to do."

"Nah, I do it here." Tyler shrugged. "I'm on little projects." He fiddled with Tony's blanket for a moment.

"You're stalling." Tony put his fork down. "What's going on?"

"I, um, I quit my job, Tony." Tyler's voice barely carried to Tony's ears. "I just can't do it anymore. Making squares and lines on paper isn't something I want now."

"So what are you doing?" Tony watched as Tyler shrugged.

"I'm sending out my resume to places. I have an interview to be a 911 operator."

"That'd be a lot more stress than your last job, Tyler." Tony met his friends' gaze with concern. "Is that something you think you can do?"

"I don't know."

"What does Gibbs say about this? Is he ok with you quitting?"

"Yeah." Tyler shrugged. "I had a panic attack a couple of days after you were in here. I'd been over a Victoria's, and I got a call for a project."

"And?"

"And I totally freaked out." Tyler started to pace. "I took the project, Tony. I took it, and I tried. I sat at the table for two evenings after spending the day with you, and I couldn't concentrate!"

"Maybe you were tired?"

"No, it was more than that." Tyler sighed as he crossed his arms across his stomach. "The calculations didn't come out right, the angles were all wrong. It was like I had no idea of what I was doing! I mean, even the request from the client made no sense to me." He wiped frustrated tears from his face. "How was I supposed to keep doing a job that I'm just not…"

"Hey, easy man." Tony's voice came across like a soothing balm. "It's ok."

"I'm such a wuss, Tony." Tyler nearly cried. "I can't even draw a damned building anymore! What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You've had one hell of a year, and it's getting to you." Tony patted the side of his bed, and Tyler sat, even as he rolled his eyes. "It's called burn-out, Tyler. You've not burned out on your job only, but life kinda caught you by surprise, and it wasn't good. It's understandable, and I'm glad Gibbs has been around to help you. I'm sorry I've added to your mess."

"Nah." Tyler bumped Tony's shoulder with his. "You're one of my best friends. Well, next to Victoria, who wins by proxy of having been around longer and getting my weirdness in ways that you'll thankfully never have to experience, you are my best friend. Well, and Gibbs, too."

"Three besties, huh?"

"Yep." Tyler smiled. "Three besties, and all of you are different."

"I'm more like Gibbs." Tony pretended to be wounded.

"Yeah, you are, but you're not as growly, and you don't spend your evening sanding a boat you'll never manage to get out of your basement."

"Oh, he gets them out."

"No!" Tyler looked over at Tony. "How?"

"Not a clue." Tony shrugged. "But I was there to help him douse the one he named after Stephanie with gasoline and torch it. And trust me, we didn't torch it in his basement."

The rest of the day passed with little excitement. Tony was taken to physical therapy, and when he returned, he slept for most of the afternoon. Tyler had asked why he needed the PT, and was informed that due to Tony's lowered blood oxygen, that his muscles had tightened, causing some of the pain he experienced. In order to get the man moving again properly, every system in his body needed to be corrected. Most of his PT was stretching and massage, with a few steps and balance exercises thrown in.

Tony stayed awake long enough to eat his lunch, and then he was out. Tyler roused him for some water after about two hours, and nearly an hour later, a coughing fit had him awake.

Tyler pounded his back, helping to loosen the junk that was clogging Tony's airways. The older man gagged, bringing up most of his lunch with the fluid from his lungs. Once he was finished, he lay back as Tyler rang for a nurse. Sweat covered his body, and chills caused him to shake.

"You ok?" Tyler's hand rested on Tony's forehead. Tony merely nodded as he closed his eyes once more, sleep pulling him into oblivion.

Three more hours passed, and just as Tyler was contemplating calling Victoria for a ride home so that he'd not violate visiting hours, Gibbs walked in. The silver-haired man looked at Tony, and then back at Tyler, worry etched on his brow.

"Is he ok? He's usually awake." Gibbs kept his voice quiet. "It looks like he didn't eat his dinner."

"No, he didn't." Tyler stood up and crossed the room so that he could speak just as quietly. "He had a rough time in PT, I guess, and he's been sleeping most of the afternoon. He woke up once with a coughing fit."

"Must have been a bad one."

"He threw up." Tyler nodded as he looked back to his friend. "I guess it's just one of those days, huh? The doctors say he's making progress."

"That's good." Gibbs patted Tyler's shoulder. "So, you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, let me just get my stuff together. We should probably let him know we're leaving."

Gibbs stepped to Tony's side while Tyler packed up the last of his things and zipped his pack.

"Hey, DiNozzo." Gibbs rested his hand on Tony's head. "Wake up for a minute, huh?"

"Huh?" Tony's eyes slid open a bit.

"I'm gonna take Tyler home, ok? So if you need anything, page a nurse."

"Ok." Tony groaned the word quietly before turning over and falling back to sleep.

"I'm sort of worried about him sleeping that heavy."

"The doctor said he'll have some days like that still, because he's still healing." Tyler blushed a bit. "I asked Dr. Pitt when he came by for his rounds."

"Good job, Tyler." Gibbs ruffled his hair playfully. "Let's go home."

Three more days passed in much the same way. Tyler rode to the hospital with Gibbs in the morning, and was picked up in the evening. Tony was able to stay awake more, but he still slept for most of the afternoon. On the fourth day, change came.

Tony woke feeling better than he had in the last couple months. He ate with gusto, and was awake and happy when an orderly came in to take him to physical therapy. Tyler expected his good mood to be gone when he returned, but Tony kept the smile on his face. He fairly bragged about walking down the hall, and Tyler grinned as he listened to his friend tell of his accomplishment.

The older man managed to stay awake for most of the afternoon, napping for only an hour. Tyler reported Tony's mood and wakefulness to Dr. Pitt when he came.

"That sounds about like him." Dr. Pitt smiled. "That guy has some sort of built in code that makes him act like he's better. As soon as he has the slightest bit of energy, he's got to prove that he's fine."

"But it's progress, right? He's not going to make himself sick again?" Tyler's brow furrowed.

"He'll not make himself sick, at least not intentionally." Brad thought a moment before continuing. "But he'll want to overdo it and exhaust himself."

"How do I keep him from doing that?"

"Short of tying him to his bed?" Brad laughed. "I have no idea. I remember following his recovery after the knee injury that ended his football career."

"He played football?"

"Yep." Brad Pitt nodded. "He was being scouted for the pros, but then I happened."

"Excuse me?"

"I tackled him, and in a cruel twist of fate, the person who ended one aspect of his life is the one who's working to keep him alive now."

"How did tackling him end his career?"

"I destroyed his knee, Tyler." Brad ran his hand through his hair. "One wrong hit, and a young med student gained the guilt of knowing he destroyed a man's life, and a physical education student got to walk on crutches and have surgeries for a year. I wasn't able to follow him for long, as he fell out of the papers after a few weeks, but what I do know of him is that he's a fighter."

"How bad was his leg?"

"You'll have to ask him that sometime. But I'm sure you'll hate me after."

"Doubt I'd hate you, Doc. Now, if you let him die, that'd be another story all together."

"I'll keep that in mind." The men shared a smile before Pitt moved to Tony's side. "Hey, DiNozzo! I need you to wake up. Gotta check your lungs."

"My lungs are fine, and I'd sleep better if you two weren't chattering like wet hens over there."

"We weren't…"

"Don't, Tyler." Dr. Pitt laughed. "This is just a sign that our Tony is feeling better. Aren't you?" Brad pinched Tony's cheek, and Tyler burst out laughing.

#####

"Oh, how I have missed thee, House of Gibbs." Tony climbed up the stairs of the porch slowly. "I would have been back sooner, but my nemesis, Dr. Brad Pitt, not the actor, mind you, felt that my bounce back to health was suspect, and kept me incarcerated for another three days." Tony leaned in, as if to speak to the walls in a conspiratorial way. "That man is evil. No not mistake his healing prowess for kindness. He is evil and most foul."

"DiNozzo, I'm gonna be evil and most foul if you don't move your ass inside so I can set your bags down." Gibbs grumped behind his SFA.

"Fine. Ruin a perfect soliloquy."

"Come on, Tony." Tyler tried to guide his friend through the door. "It's cold, and you can't be out in this weather."

"What is it with you two?"

"You just came home from the hospital." Tyler looked at Tony like he'd grown a second head. "They gave him pain killers, didn't they?"

"Oh, yeah." Gibbs nodded. "They shot his ass full of shit. According to Dr. Pitt, it'll make him relax."

"Sure." Tyler nodded. "Because pretending to be Shakespeare is so relaxing."

"Ode to a banister." Tony stood with his coat still on as one hand covered his heart, and the other stretched out toward the current object of his attention. "I think that I shall never see, a banister lovelier than thee. Thou keepest me from falling on my ass, because my friends think I am made from glass."

"Come on, Tony. Let's get you to bed, huh?" Tyler helped Tony out of his coat. "Up the stairs. You know where your room is."

"My room, my room!" Tony said these words as if he was the captain of a ship speaking of the turbulent ocean. "In those walls I find a bed. A dresser lies to the northwest, and to the south, a solitary door beckons to me. That door hides the thing I need the most."

"What's that?" Gibbs was pushing Tony forward from behind, making sure the young man kept moving.

"The toilet. I gotta pee."

"I hope whatever they gave him wears off or takes full effect soon."

"Never wish that on the stairs, Tyler." Gibbs kept herding Tony along as Tyler tugged. "Let's get him to bed first."

"Now, you two aren't playing nice." Tony pouted as he stepped up on the last step. "I'm fun!"

"You're drunk."

"No, I'm not." Tony tried to be serious, only to dissolve into a fit of giggles. The trio finally made it to the en suite bath, and Tony sighed happily as he stripped.

"Geeze, DiNozzo. Let us get out of here first."

"Boss, you know I sleep naked."

"Yeah, when you're healthy. You're not, so you're gonna be in pajamas."

"But I don't want pajamas." Tony's lower lip quivered, and Tyler watched in amused fascination as tears filled the tall Italian's eyes. "Pajamas feel funny."

"Sorry, Tony." Gibbs cuffed him gently on the head. "But you're wearing 'em."

Tyler moved to the bedroom and turned down the covers on Tony bed, trying not to laugh. He'd seen the many moods of Tony, but this was by far the funniest. If he wasn't able to return to work, there was no doubt that he'd make a killing in comedy.

Ten minutes later, Tony was literally tucked into bed. He'd fussed about his blankets, and about the quality of the sheets until Gibbs rolled his eyes and told him to stuff it. That seemed to settle the agent a bit, and before long, his eyes drooped shut.

"He was fun driving home, I'll take it?" Tyler looked over at Gibbs.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever look at those headless statues downtown the same way again."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I still don't own NCIS. But I am happy that Ziva is gone. Does that count?

Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar for being my awesome beta!

Note: My apologies for this taking so long. I had another attack of Cerebellar Ataxia, and as often happens, my brain needed a while to reboot. This translates into no story, as I had to reread it several times to remember just what the billy-blue-blazes I was writing about. My apologies if the story has a new tone. Can't be helped. Blame my faulty wiring.

**Note: This contains OC character death and a discussion of AIDS and HIV. PLEASE NOTE that one of the original characters commits suicide. The death is near the end of the chapter after an argument . There is a funny scene after, but if you'd like to skip it, I can put the funny scene at the start of the next chapter, as well. I just didn't want to end on a bad note.**

######

Tony rolled over and nearly rolled off of his bed. He swore as he quickly rolled back to the center of his small mattress, grumbling at himself for forgetting that he was home.

He wasn't just at Gibbs' house "home", but he was well and truly home. He'd spent two more weeks under the watchful and sometimes irritating yet usually funny eyes of Tyler, and now he was well enough to wake up in his own apartment. It felt strange and satisfying all at once.

A few minutes later, after allowing himself to soak in the joy of being home, Tony rose. The wood floors that he loved were chilly, and he found that he didn't like them nearly as much as he liked the soft carpeting of Gibbs' room. His apartment was silent, and he found he missed Tyler's chatter, even though he'd told the younger man several times that he'd like to get a word in edgewise. With a sigh, Tony turned on his television for the noise.

He was just stepping out of the shower when he heard the front door open. He came out of his bedroom wrapped in a towel and grinned as Gibbs set a carry-tray on the table with two cups of coffee and a muffin for each of them.

"Morning, Boss."

"Morning, DiNozzo." Gibbs didn't turn around. "Go get dressed. We've got to leave in a couple."

"Sure thing." Tony fairly scampered to his closet. "What sort of muffins did you bring?" His voice called out loudly, drowning out the TV.

"I got the cream cheese chocolate you like so much."

"Gee, you do care!"

"Shut it, Bubble-butt, and get dressed."

"I do not have a bubble butt, Gibbs."

"Tony, even Tyler thinks that if your ass got any more bubbled, you'd bounce every time you fell."

"Ouch." Tony's eyes narrowed. "Tyler did not say that."

"No, but he would have if he'd thought of it."

"Smart ass." Tony grumbled playfully as he picked up his muffin.

"My ass is smart?" Gibbs looked behind him, pretending to look at his rump. "That's impressive. If my ass is smart, how brilliant is my brain? I must be smarter than McGee." He waited until Tony had his mouth full. "At least my ass is smart, and not a trampoline."

Gibbs smiled evilly as Tony fought the urge to spew his drink over the table. "Don't mess up your clothes, Tony. There's no time to change."

"You're evil."

"And you love every minute of it. Now come on. It's your first day back, and I'm not letting you get away with anything."

"Of course not." Tony grinned. "My hard assed boss won't let me do anything to get into trouble."

"You still talking about your ass? Got something to tell me?"

"No, Boss. Sorry, Boss."

####

Tyler stepped out of his car and walked toward the gym. His therapist had suggested a low-key workout three times a week. He'd agreed, and had been set up with a trainer who worked with those in need of help after dealing with anorexia.

"Hi." Tyler rubbed his hands nervously on his sweat pants legs. "Um, I'm here to see Jill."

"Oh, hi!" A curvy woman walked up. She wore what looked like extremely comfy clothes, and Tyler felt himself relax a bit. He was afraid he was going to get a hard-core junkie who was going to whip him into shape. He should have known Cara wouldn't do that to him.

"Hey." Tyler shook her hand, and she led him into the main part of the gym.

"We've got the different sections, and I'll show you how to use everything, but not today, ok? Today, we're going to find out your BMI, I'll do a little warm up with you, give you the grand tour, and then we'll call it a day, ok?"

"That sounds good."

"Great." Jill beamed. "Ok, so our first stop will be the office. We do the fun stuff away from prying eyes."

"The fun stuff?"

"Yep." Jill nodded. "I'm gonna have you step on the scales, and I'll measure your arm to check how much tissue you have there, and then I'm gonna measure your waist. After that, I'll take your pulse and blood pressure, so that you have an idea of where you want to get your heart-rate to when you're exercising."

"Does it matter how fast my heart goes?" Tyler wasn't even sure why he needed to exercise. The way he knew was to work out until he was sweaty and he had a hard time breathing. The only times he'd ever worked out were for keeping his figure.

"Sure!" Jill motioned to the scales as she opened a cupboard and pulled out a new file. She wrote his name on it as they waited for the digital numbers to reach their final destination. "We want you to gain muscle mass, since that's going to be healthier for you than fat. By helping you to exercise properly, you can build muscle and not burn off all of the calories you're eating. Trust me," she said to his quizzical expression. "We can get there."

"If you say so."

"Yes, I do." She made a few more notes. "Come on, then, we've got the boring stuff out of the way. Time for the fun."

"Lead on, oh Mistress of the Gymnasium."

"You found out my proper job title?" She batted her eyes playfully. "And I try so hard to keep that hidden."

"Nope, you sort of display it right out there for the world to see."

Jill lead him all around the gym, showing him some of the equipment as she spoke. Tyler looked around as he followed behind her, and met some of the glares of the other men. He felt himself grow pink more than once, and several times, he heard the word "fag" as he followed. His trainer seemed oblivious. Jill showed him how to turn some things on, how to adjust some of the machines, and finally she led him to the pool/sauna area.

"Swimming laps is a great way to gain muscle, Tyler. Do you swim?"

"Um…" He blushed. "I um, have a bit of a problem with that."

"Yeah?" Jill watched as he looked anywhere but at her. He'd been attentive to the point of nearly staring the entire time, so this behavior was completely new.

"Um, I'm sort of not a public swimmer."

"What's wrong, Tyler? Come on, let's go back to the office, and you can tell me there. Would that be better?"

"Sure." He swallowed hard. Within minutes, he was explaining how his body was different, and how the men on the floor had reacted. He wasn't sure if this was the gym for him.

"I can't say anything to them, as that will make things harder for you, Tyler. I'm really sorry I wasn't paying attention to anything they said. I know they can get all hyped up on their own testosterone."

"So what do I do? Should I try a new gym?"

"Nope." Jill shook her head. "I know I can help you, and this is an equal opportunity gym. None of those guys should be saying anything about anyone's sexuality or gender. The only thing I can do is to repost the rules on respect on the locker room doors. In the meantime, just stick with the same locker room. If you choose the women's today, always use the women's. If you use the guys, which I think you'd be more comfortable with, keep using it. Don't let them push you around. You have just as much right to help yourself as they do."

"I just don't want to…"

"You won't have problems, Tyler." Jill shook her head. "We have a policy that anyone who is discriminatory in any way, be it race, gender, or sexual orientation, has their membership revoked. We had a problem with a couple of people who weren't letting women use some of the machines, and some others who were making comments about homosexuality, etc. I'll repost the rules, and make sure they get abided by. We have a policy of not allowing this to happen. If I'd heard it, I would have confronted them. However, with it being after the fact, if I confront them now, they'll simply deny it."

"So where does that leave me? If they do stuff in the locker room, or when one of your employees isn't around…" Tyler felt himself start to panic.

"If that happens, Tyler, your responsibility is to inform the front desk immediately. If you know the person's name, great. If not, give a very detailed physical description. Can you do that?"

"Sure." Tyler nodded. "You're sure I don't need to find a gym?"

"I'm sure." Jill's voice was firm. "You're in a hard position physically, Tyler, and as such, you need specialized training. This is something I can give you. There's only a handful of us in the city, and I'm the only one who doesn't charge extra because you're coming back from anorexia."

Tyler winced. He really wished she'd not use that word.

"I use that word, Tyler. I call things what they are." Her voice gentled down a bit. "I was anorexic myself."

"Really?"

"Yep." She nodded. "I went so far that I'm unable to have children. My reproductive system was sacrificed on the alter of being thin. I know how you're feeling, and I know the struggles. I'll call you on our crap. That's why I want you here and not somewhere else. I want to be able to help you. Not because I'm getting paid, but because if I help you, then I'm helping a victor. Got it?"

"Yeah." Tyler smiled and nodded to the gym. "Should we go try again?"

"Sure." Her eyes narrowed. "And this time, don't let them get away with that crap."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Tyler finished his introduction to the gym, and decided he'd drive home and shower there. He wasn't comfortable with hitting the public showers, and decided he'd use them the next time when he actually developed a sweat. Besides, he'd go earlier in the day or later in the evening and miss the Jock Strap Club as he dubbed them.

"How was the gym?" Gibbs was finishing his dinner as Tyler came in.

"It was good." The younger man smiled. "I think I'll like it there."

"Good." Gibbs nodded to the stove. "I left yours out, but the rest is already in the fridge. I'm headed downstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks, but I'm good. Just gonna go take a shower."

"Fine, but don't forget to eat again tonight." Gibbs fixed Tyler with a glare. "I let it slide once this week. I'm not letting you get into that habit."

"Ok." Tyler shrunk a bit. "I just wasn't hungry."

"I know." Gibbs turned toward the counter and refilled his coffee cup. "But the agreement is that you eat three meals a day and at least one snack. Yesterday, you had two meals and no snack. That's dangerous for you."

"I know."

"Don't say I know. Don't do it again." With a growl, Gibbs headed down to the basement.

Tyler sighed heavily and pulled a plate from the cupboard. He'd been hoping to skip dinner, as he wasn't hungry, but knew that if he didn't eat, Gibbs would be on him all night and probably the next day. He grimaced as he recalled the last tirade he'd received from Victoria, and decided that it was best to avoid the ire of Gibbs and Phillips Inc. He smirked as he thought of the two most unlikely friends imaginable. The hard-assed Marine and the trans-woman were hanging out more and more, and Tyler was terrified that if he didn't dig up some ex to occupy Gibbs' time, the man was going to be donning skinny jeans and silk shirts to go clubbing just for the experience. The thought made Tyler nearly choke on the casserole he had in his mouth.

With dinner finished, Tyler ran upstairs for a quick shower. Tony was supposed to come over for a movie, and he wanted to be ready when his friend arrived. He washed and dried, and looked down in dismay.

"Seriously?" He reprimanded his body. "You choose now to do the great hormone dance and do your stand-up routine?" He glowered at his offending member. "Honestly. You're kinda funny, but can you give it a rest?"

Nothing changed, so Tyler dressed in loose pants and jogged down the stairs, thinking of ice bergs, whale hunts, and hungry puppies. To his horror, nothing helped. He cupped his hands over the tiny tent in his pants, never stopping to think that if he didn't call attention to it, nothing would be noticeable.

"Hey, Tony!" Tyler grinned widely. "How was your first day back at work?"

"It's good to be back." Tony looked Tyler over and started to laugh.

"What?"

"Stop cupping it. Just makes me wonder what you're trying to hide."

"Tony." Tyler whined. "It's embarrassing."

"Yeah, it happens. So stop it." Tony was laughing heartily. "You look like a freak."

"I am a freak."

"No, you're unusual. A freak is a fifth grader in love with a sixth grade girl."

"Ouch." Tyler smacked Tony's arm. "That wasn't nice."

"So what are we watching?" Tony tried unsuccessfully to stop laughing at his friends predicament.

"Something with death."

"So you can get that to go down?"

"No, asshole." Tyler made a face. "So I can get new ideas on how to bump you off."

Downstairs, Gibbs smiled as the sound of laughter rang through the halls. His house had been far too quiet for far too long. Tyler was a pleasant addition.

#######

Jeff sat staring at the doctor. The kid was young, and had to be wrong.

"I'm getting a second opinion."

"Mr. Boggs, you're welcome to, but I think we need to get your treatments started while you get that opinion."

"Isn't that against the point of a second opinion?"

"Perhaps." The doctor nodded. "But in cases like these, it's best to get started on treatments. HIV is treatable, and there has been some success in moving toward a cure, but sir, you have progressed to AIDS. We need to get on a treatment plan right away to enable you to have…"

"Longer to die?" Jeff glared. "AIDS is a death sentence, right? Isn't that right? So why should I get treated?" He was shouting by the time he finished, and stormed from the office.

Jeff went home and continued yelling in his tiny apartment. He rambled on at the unfairness of having a few minor STD's, and now everyone now thought he was infected with any disease out there. This diagnosis of AIDS had been the last straw. Just because he slept around didn't mean he was sick. He took rounds of antibiotics when he needed them for other things. He was sure it was just something like that. The kid he'd seen could kiss his ass. With his mind made up, he called another doctor and scheduled an appointment. He was looking forward to rubbing the truth into that young punk's nose.

Two weeks later, Jeff sat alone in his apartment. He stared around at the few possessions he'd managed to accrue, and wondered what he should keep, if anything. He'd driven to a new state and had mailed Sharon divorce papers, but he was sure she'd take him back, anyway.

Minutes later, he'd convinced himself that his next plan of action was right. She needed him. She was nothing without him. She was probably wallowing in misery and self-condemnation for letting him go. Filled with his own greatness, Jeff loaded his car and began driving. He'd just show up and move in. It was still his home, after all.

Eight hours later, he climbed the stairs to his home. He'd never been so glad to see the place. Exhaustion rolled off of him in waves, and he longed for the bed he'd shared with the ungrateful bitch for years. He pulled out his key and turned it, only to find that it was a new lock.

With a grimace, he rang the bell and waited.

"What do you want?" Her tone was frosty.

"Hi. Thought I'd come back home."

"Why? Do you want to gloat over having made me sick? Or do you want to come here to pass your remaining days in peace? Either way, you're not going to have an easy time of it."

She'd never been so outspoken to him, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Watch it, woman."

"No!" Her voice echoed along their empty street. "You made me sick!" Tears ran down her face as she shouted. "Did you know you had HIV? Did you pass it to every woman you slept with? How many have you infected now?" Her chest heaved with emotion. "You're not stepping foot over this door, Jeffery. You've done enough. I don't care if you want to die in the gutter, but you're not doing it here."

She slammed the door and he heard the bolt close.

"Sharon!" He shouted. "Open this door! This is MY home, and you have NO RIGHT to lock me out of it!" He was satisfied when the door cracked open again.

"I can, and I will." Her voice held an iron he was unaccustomed to. "I had my yearly physical last week, and I got a call to go in and have a consult with the doctor. Do you know what he told me? I think you know, Jeff. I have HIV. He said it's not AIDS. But I need to be careful, don't I? I don't know if I can make other people sick. I don't know how this disease works, but you gave it to me. I know that." Her voice was now deadly calm.

"Can we just talk?"

"We are talking." Sharon's tone didn't change. "You've stolen my life. Every last bit of it. You stole the years that were supposed to be spent with Charlie as a child. You stole the years after he left for the military by having affair after affair. And now you've stolen the last chance I had of having some sort of life." She slammed the door and he heard the quiet "I hate you" through the wood.

He stared at the door for a brief moment before turning to his car. As his hand reached the handle, a loud bang filled the air, and he looked at the house, shock filling him at the sight of the red splatter now covering the window by the door. He watched as his wife's body slumped against the door seconds later. For the first time in his life, Jeffery Boggs felt guilt.

#####

"Hey, boys!" Victoria breezed through the door of Gibbs home with a large pizza. "What's up?"

"Young Frankenstein." Tony barely looked away from the screen where "Dr. Fronkenstein" was trying to convince someone he wasn't Frankenstein's descendant.

"Oh, I love that movie." She took on a high falsetto and sang, "Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I found you…" Tyler burst out laughing.

"I love it when you do that."

"Well, I do aim to please." She batted her eyelashes. "Now, where is Agent Heartthrob? He told me he was gonna be in tonight."

"He's grumpy as shit and down with his boat." Tyler paused the movie and reached for a slice of the pie she set on the table.

"Oh, is he now?" She nodded with satisfaction as Tyler took a bite. "Well, that's gonna change."

"How do you plan on that?" Tony glanced over at her and swallowed hard. Victoria was wearing a neon pink bustier, a white fish-net top, a black micro skirt that he could barely see as she stood there, and thigh-high boots that screamed "street walker for hire".

"Close your mouth, Anthony." She winked. "It's not nice to stare, and yes, I did wear this to pick up the pizza." She sashayed over to the basement door and yanked it open.

"LEROY JETHRO GIBBS!" Her low alto rang through the house. "YOU GET YOUR WEINERSCHNEITZEL UP HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Tony nearly choked, and Tyler spit out his mouthful as they heard quick steps on the stairs.

"You don't have to shout, Wo…" He stopped short, and the two men on the couch laughed. "What the hell?"


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I still don't own it. I have begged and cried and thrown all sorts of fits, but none of it makes any difference. *heavy sigh*

Note: Thanks to Headbanger Rockstar for being my awesome beta!

Note: I have to say that I was addressed in a guest review about the proper way to spell weinerschneitzel. It's apparently WIENER SCHNITZEL. So it's corrected in this chapter. I do indeed trust whoever it was (they said I could trust them 100%, and well, considering they had some clue, I figure they're probably right.) And, now that I've rambled on and on, I'd like to get on to the story. Heeheehee Just remember… English isn't my first language. It's really not even my second. However, I'm fairly good. Add in a new language? And yeah. All bets are off. *snickers* Dang closed captioning on the movie, too. They spelled it wrong. Can I blame Warner Brothers?

And another note: Now, while I don't mind having spelling corrections offered (especially when they're humorous, such as in the guest review mentioned above), I do mind having guest reviews that tell me to check my facts and that people like this don't exist. It's really funny, but I happen to be very close to someone like this. My friend, who has given me permission to write this story, and is getting a big kick out of it, was raised a girl in his early years… until puberty hit. It was hard to hide the chest hair, beard, and erections. According to my friend, it's easier for him to live as a guy, because he sees himself as a guy. He is fully intersexed, and there are MANY in society who are intersexed to some degree. Most of them simply have to hide themselves, or "present" one way or another to avoid the censure of their peers. So before you flame me in a guest review, I'd ask you to check YOUR facts and make sure that what you're degrading me for is real…on YOUR end.

####

"Hey, boys!" Victoria breezed through the door of Gibbs home with a large pizza. "What's up?"

"Young Frankenstein." Tony barely looked away from the screen where "Dr. Fronkenstein" was trying to convince someone he wasn't Frankenstein's descendant.

"Oh, I love that movie." She took on a high falsetto and sang, "Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I found you…" Tyler burst out laughing.

"I love it when you do that."

"Well, I do aim to please." She batted her eyelashes. "Now, where is Agent Heartthrob? He told me he was gonna be in tonight."

"He's grumpy as shit and down with his boat." Tyler paused the movie and reached for a slice of the pie she set on the table.

"Oh, is he now?" She nodded with satisfaction as Tyler took a bite. "Well, that's gonna change."

"How do you plan on that?" Tony glanced over at her and swallowed hard. Victoria was wearing a neon pink bustier, a white fish-net top, a black micro skirt that he could barely see as she stood there, and thigh-high boots that screamed "street walker for hire".

"Close your mouth, Anthony." She winked. "It's not nice to stare, and yes, I did wear this to pick up the pizza." She sashayed over to the basement door and yanked it open.

"LEROY JETHRO GIBBS!" Her low alto rang through the house. "YOU GET YOUR WIENER SCHNITZEL UP HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Tony nearly choked, and Tyler spit out his mouthful as they heard quick steps on the stairs.

"You don't have to shout, Wo…" He stopped short, and the two men on the couch laughed. "What the hell?"

"Hey, Baby!" Victoria threw her arms around Gibbs and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I know we talked about a movie, but what about going out? We've not been out since Tony got sprung."

"He's not…"

"He's well enough." She put her hands on her hips. "There's no smoking in the club I'm thinking of, and…"

"We're not going clubbing." Gibbs glared at her as he crossed his arms.

"Ok, Mr. Fuddy-duddy. We'll go, and you can take your ass back downstairs and spend the night with your boat."

"If we go out, we're going somewhere for a nice dinner first. I don't think Tony's really eaten much, and Tyler's not had a lot. That pizza won't soak up the alcohol those two…"

"You know, Gibbs." Victoria started to laugh. "For all you swear up and down that you're not their dad…"

"Oh, shut up." Tony and Tyler were watching the conversation with barely held laughter as their faces volleyed from one to the other.

"Make me." She quirked an eyebrow. "You don't have anything big enough."

"Funny. Just a minute ago, I had a wiener schnitzel."

Tony tried unsuccessfully to not laugh, but when Tyler fell into his side shaking with barely concealed laughter, he lost his ability to be quiet. Loud guffaws filled the living room. Victoria grinned, completely unrepentant as she motioned for Gibbs to get upstairs and change.

"If we're going, you better put on a real skirt."

"This is a real skirt."

"No, that's a tea towel. What you got holding that thing on? Safety pins?"

"You wound me." Victoria's hand flew to her breast. "You know I look good."

"Not arguing with that. I just don't want you out there in…" He motioned to her outfit. "In that. It's too revealing."

"It's official." Victoria rolled her eyes. "You're a prude." More peals of laughter echoed from the couch. "Come on, Tyler. We need to get you changed, and I guess I need to wear something more presentable for the honorable Mister Gibbs."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as he jogged up the stairs. He knew she'd give him lip about it all night, but seeing her like that… she'd just put herself in danger. There was looking sexy, and then there was looking easy. He growled as he thought of her going out like that on other nights. It just wasn't safe.

As he changed clothes, he could hear giggling down the hall, and dreaded finding out what Tyler would be dressed in. Victoria was bad enough, but he'd helped Tyler unpack, and knew some of the little numbers that the young man possessed. Why the kid felt the need to sometimes dress in women's clothing was beyond him, but so had been any experiences with someone of Tyler's unique type. He sighed and hoped that Tony was ready for whatever excitement those two cooked up. He was sure their companions would provide them with more than enough fun for the night.

"I'm not in the mood to wear that." Tyler chewed on his lip. "I mean, I like those pants, but do you think either of them would care if I played the girl card tonight?"

"How far are you gonna pull it?" Victoria's eyes danced. Tyler could be downright sexy when he wanted to be.

"Um, enough to get away with this?" He pulled a blue mini dress out of the back of his closet as he chewed his nail. "Is it too much?"

"Is that what you're going to be comfy in tonight?"

"Yeah." Tyler blushed. "I just feel like cross dressing tonight."

"Oh, how I have longed to hear those words." Victoria clapped her hands. "Come on, Honey. We need to get some work done. You go shave, and I'll get stuff all pulled out. You still have it all?"

"Like I'd get rid of that wig." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Top shelf, Girl."

"I love you, Tyler."

"Yeah, you're only saying that cuz I'm gonna let you play."

#####

Tony and Gibbs sat down on the couch waiting. Tony turned the movie back on, but both were more intent on the occasional squeals of laughter from upstairs than they were in the black and white horror spoof that filled the screen. Finally they heard footsteps on the stairs. Tony looked up, and his jaw dropped. Gibbs craned his neck over and joined Tony in his ogling. They were trying to kill them. There was no other explanation.

Victoria's clothing hadn't changed at all, and Gibbs swallowed hard as he realized she'd actually adjusted her bustier and more cleavage showed. Who knew that a former linebacker could be so… Gibbs stopped his train of thought. Behind her, Tyler ambled down. He had traded his loose fitting sweats and comfortable t-shirt for a dark blue mini dress that crossed in the front. Neither Gibbs nor Tony had ever seen Tyler cross-dress, and to Gibbs' amusement, he wondered if he'd have to slap Tony's head to stop him from drooling.

Tyler's recently dyed hair was hidden beneath a wig that looked like it had been ripped out of a Dolly Parton movie. His shoes were strappy little numbers that matched his dress, and his clutch… Tony swallowed hard. Tyler was actually carrying a purse? His clutch matched, too. Tony cleared his throat and thought of piles of dead puppies, decomposing bodies, and the blue lights in isolation. He hoped it worked in time for him to stand up and not make a fool of himself.

"Shit." His quiet curse met Gibbs ears, and the older man grunted in agreement.

"We're dead, DiNozzo."

"Are you boys ready?" Tyler stepped around, letting Tony get a clear view of him. Tony looked the length of his friend and shook his head. How had he gotten his legs shaved so fast? They were far too smooth to have been recently done. With another shake, he figured he probably didn't want to know.

"Ready as we're gonna be." Gibbs stood and knocked Tony's head. "Roll up your tongue, and let's go."

"So, where are we going, ladies?" Tony smiled as he offered his arm to Tyler.

"There's this club, and well, I think you'll like it."

"An Abby style club?" Gibbs had told Victoria about their bubbly Goth, and she laughed. "Nope. A club where Tyler and I are right at home. Come on, be brave, little ones. Let Mama Vic take care of you."

"That's frightening." Tony shuddered. "Isn't that what the hooker in Biloxi Blues said?"

"I don't think her name was Victoria." The tall woman's voice was velvet. "Now come along, children. We don't want to be late and not get good seats."

"Oh!" Tyler whipped around. "They're having a show tonight?"

"Of course!" Victoria fanned herself. "Why else do we go there?"

"Hot damn!" Tyler pulled Tony out of the house and down to Victoria's car. "Hurry up, you two!" The young man fairly bounced around in his strappy fuck-me heels. "We need to be early!"

"What sort of show is this?" Tony's eyes narrowed.

"You'll see." Tyler grinned at him mischievously.

Twenty minutes later, the four sat at a table relatively close to the stage. They ordered their first round of drinks moments before the house lights dimmed. Gibbs and Tony sat back, watching the spectacle when a tall, leggy woman sashayed out on the stage amid whistles and catcalls.

"Good evening, gentlemen and ladies!" Her voice carried over the crowd with the aid of a microphone. "Are you ready to get started?" More calls and shouts of encouragement rang out, and Maxine motioned for everyone to settle down a bit.

"Well, since you're all being quieter now, let's get started!" She left the stage, and a small yet loud band began playing ABBA's Dancing Queen. Four people, two men and two women walked out on stage with microphones in hand. They sang and danced, doing a pretty close rendition of the original song.

Gibbs sat back. He was amused by the four on stage. They were dressed in what he'd come to know as Victorian Steam Punk, yet they sang the medley of classic rock songs as if they were dressed in street clothes. Dancing Queen segued to Mr. Fahrenheit, which then turned into Don't Go Breaking My Heart. The final chords died down, and the lights went up to applause.

"They're good." Tony nodded approvingly.

"They're just the starting lineup."

"What do you mean?" Gibbs took a sip of his bourbon, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"They were just getting everyone ready, Tony." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Please. You don't think I got this excited over just music, did you?"

"Well, um…"

"Jock straps and bikini's, Tony." Victoria patted Gibbs back when the older man nearly choked. "There's gonna be a little bit of everything for all of us."

The lights dimmed again after everyone had placed new orders, and a song that Gibbs hadn't heard filled the air. He drummed his fingers on the table in time as he watched beautiful women in lacy dresses walk the runway. He'd not seen so many curves and swaying hips in a long time, and he felt a swell of gratitude to Victoria for bringing him out. Nights like these had been far too few.

He glanced over to Tyler and Tony, smirking as he realized Tony had made the high-school move of yawning as an excuse to lay his arm across Tyler's shoulders. Tyler coyly reached up and patted Tony's hand where it rested. Gibbs' eyes returned to the stage, and he watched as a woman, this one a little less curvy walked down the walk. Behind her, a man in a tuxedo was already gathering catcalls.

Gibbs chuckled as he leaned over to Victoria.

"You know any of them?"

"Yeah." Her breath ghosted across his ear. "That's Nathan. He's a looker, huh?"

"Not my type, but he's handsome enough." Gibbs felt his ears grow red. He'd never thought he'd be in a position of having to admit that a guy looked good.

"Relax, Jethro." Victoria patted his thigh under the table. "No one here will bite. Well, at least not without permission. Just enjoy it."

The tempo of the music sped up, and within minutes, there was a lively techno beat filling the air. The models came out once again, but this time the women were in lingerie, while the men were in muscle shirts and skin-tight shorts that left little to the imagination.

"Oh, wow!" Tyler suddenly sat forward and grabbed Victoria's hand excitedly. "Look at Steven! He looks so good! He's getting better all the time!" Tony and Gibbs looked at one another and burst out laughing. Both had suspicions, but neither had been positive. There was no doubt now that this was the most impressive drag show either of them had ever seen.

"Are they all in drag?" Tony was eyeballing the beautiful woman who was rocking back and forth before them, letting her hips sway seductively.

"Yes." Tyler laughed. "That's Steven! He's getting so good! Can we go see him after the show? I want to tell him how good he looks!"

"Do you hang out often?"

"No, but when we go out, he comes with us. We've not gone out since…" Victoria stopped speaking and patted Tyler's shoulder. "You ok?"

"Yeah." The young man wiped his eyes. "I'm ok. It just hit that this is the first time I've gone out and not missed him the whole time."

"I'm proud of you." Victoria leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Tyler's cheek. "He would be, too."

Tony watched the exchange and felt like a heel. He'd put his arm around Tyler, not even considering how invasive the action may have felt to the young man. He felt Tyler lean closer in to him and leaned down a bit, keeping his words quiet.

"You sure you're ok? I can move…"

"Don't." Tyler shook his head, and then met Tony's gaze. "I'm glad you're here. Thanks." His fingers traced down the buttons on Tony's shirt before he sat back a bit, still tucked into Tony's side.

"Anytime." Tony returned to watching the show. After a few minutes, he spoke again. "Are you sure that's not a guy?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Tyler nodded. "That's Kylie. She likes to cross-dress, but she's not trans. Well, she's a transvestite, but she's not transgender."

"So that bulge in her pants?" Tony looked down at Tyler, his brow quirked.

"She's wearing a pants stuffer." Tyler shrugged, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Ok, so where do the guys…"

"Where's mine, Tony?" Tyler's voice dropped. "Maybe I'm wearing tight underwear? Maybe bikini briefs that are a size too small? Perhaps I've got a gaff? It's the same with all of them. They've found the most comfortable for them, and go with it."

"Do I want to know what a gaff is?" Tony's voice had grown husky.

"Probably not." Tyler giggled. "But let me tell you, it works. If I stripped down, you'd not see a thing beyond what you see with them."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. How do you think I pull off a tight dress, Tony?"

He looked up at DiNozzo through his lashes, and Tony felt himself swallow hard. "I was trying to not think about it."

Another giggle, and Tyler was seemingly focused on the show once more. Tony lost the ability to focus on the men and women who were showcasing their "talents" before them. Tyler had practically snuggled into his side, and Tony found his mind ensnared in the thoughts that had plagued him for weeks. Was he becoming attracted to Tyler? Would moving forward damage their friendship? Was he ready for anything? Were either of them? Tony unconsciously tightened his arm, and Tyler rested his head on Tony's shoulder.

Across the table from them, Victoria squeezed Gibbs hand to get his attention. The silver haired man looked in the direction her head was pointing, and smiled. It looked like those two were getting it all figured out.

Several minutes passed, and the house lights came back up. Victoria and Tyler stood, clapping and whistling their appreciation for the magnificent show they'd seen. Tony caught himself looking at the pert backside that was beside him and quickly refocused his attention. That blue dress was killing him.

"Come on!" Tyler grabbed Tony's hand. "I want to introduce you to Steven and Kylie!" He looked over to Victoria, who was holding Gibbs firmly by the wrist, despite his pleas to not have to leave their table. "Will you come, too?"

"Yep!" Victoria was pleased to see Tyler's natural excitement back. He'd been so quiet since Charlie died, and this was the first time she'd gotten to see him really acting like himself. He'd even gone so far with dressing tonight that his voice had a low husky tone from being feminized, and she wondered if Tony was liking it, or if he was slightly uncomfortable. A quick glance at their entwined hands answered that question fully.

####

"Oh, my gosh!" Tyler hugged Steven, wrapping the finely built man in his thin arms. "You looked amazing up there!"

"You don't look too bad yourself, Tyler!" Steven pulled away before pressing a quick kiss to Tyler's cheek. "One of these days, I'm gonna talk you into performing."

"Oh, no." Tyler shook his head. "I like to cross dress, yes. But I did a show once, if you'll remember, and it was the worst idea I ever had."

"That was because you talked Charlie into doing it, too, and let's face it, that boy just could NOT pull off a bikini." Steven's face froze for a moment. "Oh, I'm so sorry." He held out a hand. "I shouldn't have said that…"

"It's ok, Steven." Tyler became serious for the first time that night. "I miss him, and I miss the stupid stuff we did, but really? I think he's watching me and is proud that I'm doing so good."

"Are you doing good?" Steven backed up a bit. "I heard you got sick. Are you doing better now?"

"Yep." Tyler nodded. "I made some new friends and learned that life goes on even when I don't want it to. But as one of my new friends has said, Charlie died, but I lived. If I don't use that gift, what's the point?"

"You're amazing." Steven wiped a tear from his own eye.

"No, trust me, I'm not. I do, however, have several friends who have helped me. One of them," Tyler reached over for Tony, "is right here. This is Tony. Tony, this is Steven."

"Hi." Tony shook hands with the man who suddenly found everything else in the room interesting. "That was a good show."

"Oh, thanks." Steven seemed cold, and Tyler was mildly confused. He watched as Steven walked away, suddenly unsure of his place among those who were once his friends.

"Did I scare him?" Tony looked down at Tyler.

"No." The younger man looked down. "He and Charlie were really good friends, maybe even better friends than he and I were." Tyler cleared his throat. "When Charlie died, I tried calling Steven, but we couldn't seem to find anything to talk about. So maybe he feels like I'm dissing Charlie by having you here tonight. I mean, we're not "together" together, but he doesn't know that. That's all I can think of."

"Well, I hate to tell you, but that's pretty dumb."

"Hey, I didn't say that's how I feel. I said that's how I think he feels."

"Yeah, and I'm telling you he's stupid."

"I guess." Tyler shrugged. "Oh, well. Time to go find Kylie."

"She's the one I was sure was a guy, right?"

"Yeah, and look! There she is with her boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend? I expected girlfriend."

"Seriously?" Tyler laughed. "She's gender queer, Tony. She's all girl, but she likes to look like a boy."

"Wow. I never realized there were so many…" Tony motioned wildly. "Variations."

"There's as many variations as there are people, Tony. Now stop philosophizing and come on."

Tony looked around as Tyler drug him across the room, and smirked at a harried-looking Gibbs being surrounded by a gaggle of giggling gay men. Considering how red his boss' ears were, and how large Victoria's smile was, Tony guessed that Gibbs was the focus of the moment. He bet his boss loved that.

"Kylie!" Tyler practically launched himself at his friend, and Tony grinned. How that kid managed to walk, let alone bounce around in those shoes was beyond him. "I'm so glad you're back! I didn't know you'd be in the show tonight!"

"I asked Victoria to bring you along." Kylie hugged Tyler close. "How are you? You're looking good!" She backed off and twirled her finger. "Come on, let me see."

Tyler laughed and spun around, letting her take in his entire outfit.

"Hot damn." Dan wrapped his arms around Kylie and eyed Tyler. "You look good enough to eat."

"Sorry, I'm not on your menu." Tyler snapped his fingers, and Tony laughed.

"Hi, I'm Tony."

"Oh, you're Tony!" Kylie launched forward and hugged him. "I'm so glad to meet you! Tyler told us he'd made new friends, and I was hoping to get to meet some of you, and well, this is just great!"

"I'm slowly getting to get to know his friends."

"There's not many of us left, I'm afraid." Kylie leaned forward and whispered to him. "Most of those idiots aren't sure of what to do or say, so instead of being human, they just walked away. Thanks for being there for him."

"Sure." Tony backed up a bit. "So, you guys just moved back?"

"Yep!" Dan nodded vigorously. "I had to finish my Masters, and since some of my classes involved being in the field for several months, I transferred schools. We came back here to civilization as soon as I was done."

"How long ago was that?"

"Last week." Dan rolled his eyes as the two watched Kylie and Tyler have some animated discussion. "We were going to visit Tyler sooner, but with moving, and then settling in, and then the invite to show tonight, we decided to put it off. I'm really glad he's here, though. He looks good."

"He's getting better."

"I was afraid we were gonna lose him there. Kylie wanted to come back when Victoria called and let her know he was in the hospital, but we didn't have the money."

"Sorry to hear that. You know, if he'd told me, I would have helped…"

"No, he was too upset. He kept telling us that he was fine, and he didn't need anyone." Dan cleared his throat. "Is he getting the right kind of help? I mean, not just with weight, but you know, emotionally?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Good." Dan was quiet for a minute. "We should all get together some time. I'd like to get to know you better. Takes a special guy to win Tyler's affections."

"Oh, um, we're not dating."

"Oh, wow." Dan bit his lip. "Talk about stepping in it."

"No, I guess I can see how it would look like that."

"Yeah, it does, and Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"He's a good man. You hurt him, Mr. We're Just Friends, and I'll come after you."

"I'm glad he's got friends like you and Victoria."

"She's something, isn't she?" Dan looked over to where Victoria was introducing Gibbs to someone else. "She's probably one of the happiest people I know. Tyler's a close second, but she's one of the top. Good woman."

"She is." Tony was quiet for a minute. "I'll talk to Tyler about all of us getting together."

"Good." With a firm nod, Dan went to his girlfriend and tugged her away while shooing Tyler back toward Tony.

####

"How about this place?" Tyler looked hopefully through the windows.

"I think we need reservations for there." Tony shook his head as he spoke.

"Nah." Gibbs shook his head. "I brought one of the exes here."

"Which one was that?" Victoria cocked her head to the side.

"The one who ended up taking the 9 iron to my head a week later."

"Ouch."

"Food's good, she's a bitch. What more can I say?" Gibbs smirked as he spoke.

"Apparently not much." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Come on, Handsome. Let's go eat."

They were shown to a table after a short wait, and sat sipping water and coffee following their earlier libations. Meals were eaten, and as they sat visiting, Tony noticed Tyler's eyes roaming over to the floor where several couples danced. He smiled gently as he recalled the first time they'd gone dancing at the Hard Rock Café. Tyler sighed and Tony pushed back his chair.

"May I have this dance?" He held his hand out, and Tyler took it, wide-eyed.

"You're really…"

"Yep." Tony smiled. "Come on, I know you know how to waltz."

Moments later, Tony led Tyler around the floor, moving in harmony to a beautiful Viennese waltz. They spoke quietly to one another, and from their seats, Gibbs and Victoria watched them

"They look good." Gibbs simply nodded his agreement. "Are you still wondering if it's a good thing?"

"Nope." Gibbs took a sip of his coffee. "I watched as Tyler was there for Tony through every cough. That kid did everything he could, and if he's not in love, I have no idea what love's supposed to look like."

"What do you think about Tony's feelings?"

"I think he's still sorting it out." He smirked as Tyler blushed and ducked his head, nearly resting his head on Tony's shoulder. "But I think he's getting there. He's needed someone."

"I know Tony's been good for Tyler." Victoria smiled as she watched the younger couple. "He's been a lot of work, but he's made Tyler happy."

Tyler blushed, and Gibbs chuckled. "I usually don't eavesdrop, but I have to admit that I want to know what they're saying. Tony's almost as red as Tyler now, so it must have come out all wrong."

"And DiNozzo comments coming out all wrong are incredible?"

"Oh, yeah." Gibbs chuckled as he told her some of his more laughable fails in communication.

Out on the floor, Tony and Tyler bumbled through the most awkward conversation they'd ever had. Tony had tried to compliment Tyler twice, and had just managed to embarrass himself both times. At least the younger man had understood his intent, and hadn't become upset.

"So, Tony…" Tyler smiled up at his friend. "You're always so suave. I've seen you with girls you like, and you hold it together." His eyebrow quirked. "So something is bugging you. Out with it, Sir."

"I'm not… I mean, nothing's bugging me."

"I call bullshit." Tyler backed up a bit, yet still managed to create an image of intimacy for anyone watching. "What's going on in that head of yours? Did I push it too far tonight?"

"Push it…" Tony looked confused for a moment before his eyes flew wide. "No! I mean, I wasn't expecting it, but shit." It was Tony's turn to blush. "I don't think of you like a girl, but I sort of like the idea of you being my girl. Dammit. That came out all wrong."

Tyler laughed and leaned in to Tony. "So try it again."

"I want, well, you know, I want to ask you out, ok? But I don't know how you feel, and I've never asked a guy out before, and even if you do want to date me some time, is it too soon? Charlie's been gone for a year and a half, but is it too soon? And if it is, am I ruining our friendship by even saying this?" He drew in a deep breath. "And I gotta say that damn, you look beautiful."

"That's the sweetest thing anyone has said to me since…" Tyler swallowed hard. "Thank you, Tony."

They had stopped moving, and Gibbs and Victoria expected them to return to the table. To their surprise, Tyler rose up on his toes and pressed a chaste kiss to Tony's mouth. The smile that lit Tony's face left little room for doubt that the two had indeed figured out their relationship.

A muffled squeal reached their ears, and Tony's face turned bright red. Tyler buried his face in Tony's shirt as he mumbled something. Tony wrapped his arms tighter around Tyler.

"What was that?"

"They saw us. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't." Tony felt his cheeks burn. "I just feel like I got caught by our parents making out."

"Oh." Tyler groaned. "I have to live with Gibbs. He's gonna…"

"Not do anything." Tony spoke with conviction. "I won't let him."

"He's not gonna be mean, Tony, but I know he's gonna tease me."

"Then let's give him something to actually tease you about, huh?" With a wink, Tony lowered his head and fairly devoured Tyler. They broke apart moments later, and walked back to the table where Gibbs and Victoria sat. Both of their companions had pleased expressions, and Tony felt a swell of relief. He'd not wanted to say anything to Tyler, but he had been worried about needing to talk to Gibbs.

"Come on, I already paid. We need to get out of here before we get kicked out."

"Aw, Gibbs." Tony balked at his boss' harsh words.

"Play grab ass at home, Tony, not in some restaurant. Come on." He pointed a finger at Tyler, and scowled. "I swear, if you come home pregnant…" Victoria burst out laughing as she pushed a now grinning Jethro towards the door.

"You've caused enough shock and awe, Jethro. Move it along. Stop embarrassing your kid."

Tyler stared after his friends before shaking his head ruefully.

"I can't believe he just said that."

"I can. I have to work with him." Tony ran his hand over his head. "I'm already dreading the concussion."

Once they were outside, Victoria handed her keys to Gibbs.

"You drive, cuz I wanna be able to not pay attention to the road." She held up her hand. "But my baby is not some monster that'll corner on rails. Well, she may, but if you try? I'll feed you a hot dog, and it won't be one you like, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Gibbs snatched the keys from her. "Drive like the old woman you are. Got it."

"Watch it, Buster. You've got the gray hair." She stuck her tongue out. "Now tell me what happened out there, you two. How did you get to that smokin' kiss?"

"Oh, come on." Tony ran his hands over his face. "Do you really have to know?"

"Of course!" Victoria nodded. "I'm a woman. Now spill."

"Tony asked me out."

"That's wonderful!" Victoria reached over and shook Gibbs' arm. "I'm so happy! We were talking about how good you two are for each other! This is wonderful!"

"You keep doing that, and I'm gonna go off the road."

"Sorry." She took her hand from his arm. "I'm just too excited!" She turned back to the pair in the back seat. "So do tell."

"What more do you want to know?" Tyler's eyes were fairly glowing, and Tony figured any privacy was gone. Within seconds, he was proven right as Tyler gave a humiliating rendition of Tony's bumbling request. Gibbs snorted, and Victoria squealed as Tyler gave a far-too-detailed version of events.

"Do you two talk like this all the time?"

"Yes?" Tyler looked over to Tony. "Sorry. Too many years of habit."

"Guess I need to get used to it, huh?"

"Probably." Tyler grinned unrepentantly. "I have to admit that the girl in me loves to talk."

"So I've noticed." Tony made a face even as he pulled Tyler in for a kiss. "Just keep it, well, you know…"

"PG?"

"That's the one."

"Easy. Nothing's happened."

"I mean in the future, too."

"Well, that's no fun." Gibbs laughed at Tyler's response, even as Victoria was shaking his arm once more, going on about how cute they were.

"Speaking of fun," Tony wrapped his arm around Tyler and pulled him close. "I'm gonna go home pretty much as soon as we get to Gibbs' place."

"Why?" Tyler couldn't hide the hurt in his voice.

"I want to take you out tomorrow, so I need to get some things done. You know, my boss has kept me busy, and then I wasn't home in forever, and well, some things just need done."

"So I won't see you until tomorrow night? What about our basketball…"

"We're still doing lunch, you goof. I just want to be sure I get everything done instead of having to rush away after lunch, the game, and well, whatever else we get into."

"So when you show up tomorrow…"

"I'm yours for the rest of the day." Tony smiled down at his new boyfriend.

"Why ask me out? I mean, not that I'm complaining, but is it the dress?"

"Hell, no. Well, the dress helps, just cuz you're sexy, but there's a lot more to it."

"So what more?" Victoria had turned around, facing the correct way in her seat, but she reached over and put her hand on Gibbs leg. She was a tactile person, and didn't even consider that someone may not be comfortable with the contact. The two behind her were so adorable, and she was glad to be a witness to their…cuteness.

"I don't know if I can explain it right, but you're my best friend, but you're also the one who has stood by me while I've been sick. I mean, you've helped me clean up after I've puked all over you. You've called me and asked me to pick up pads while I'm at the drug store. I dunno, it's like I'm more comfortable with you than I've ever been with anyone else, and while I could say we're just friends, well, I sort of have some thoughts about you from time to time that go way over that line." Tony's ears turned red, and he was glad Tyler couldn't see them. "So I want to be more, you know? Friends just isn't enough anymore."

"Tony?" Tyler raised the hand that held his to his lips and pressed a kiss to Tony's knuckles.

"Yeah?"

"If anyone ever tries to tell you you're not a romantic, tell them they're nuts." Gibbs and Victoria both burst out laughing, and the little bubble the two men in the backseat had created shattered.

#####

"Night." Tony held Tyler close for just a moment before kissing him soundly. "I'll be by tomorrow about eleven, ok?"

"You need to stay here, DiNozzo." Gibbs eyed his agent. "You've had too much to drink."

"I only had four beers, and my last one was nearly three hours ago. I'm fine."

"No, you're not." He went toe to toe with the younger man. "Get your ass in and sleep on that couch. You can get stuff done later."

"Gibbs," Tony motioned helplessly. "I really need…"

"To not drive drunk. You're a fed you know better." Tony faced off with the man for a moment before nodding.

"Fine. But I'm out the door first thing."

"Fine. So long as your ass doesn't drive."

"You drove here." Tony's eyebrow shot up.

"Yeah. I had one shot at the start of that crazy show, and then the rest of the time, I drank coffee, and Victoria stayed with coke to be our designated driver. Got a problem with that?"

"No." Tony wished he had an answer.

"Come on, Lover Boy. You can keep your ass on the couch. I have faith in you."

Tyler put his hands over his mouth in a failed attempt to hide his laughter. Victoria didn't bother.

Twenty short minutes later, Tony was playing with his phone as he laid on the couch, desperately hoping for sleep. Victoria had gone home in a flurry of laughter and funny, snarky barbs aimed at Gibbs. Jethro was downstairs working on his boat, letting his mind wander over the events of the night and dealing with some left-over discomfort with the world he was getting to know. He didn't mind the people, but the culture was new, and he found that some of it was more than he could grasp, but he wanted to. So far the people he'd met had been ingratiating and fun, and he was stacking up a new set of …acquaintances… faster than he could count. To his surprise, he'd met carpenters, engineers, and electricians. Some of the men he'd pegged as "guests" like him had come on to him, altering forever his perception of the LBGT community. He found he enjoyed the alteration.

Tyler sat upstairs on his bed, unaware of the actions of anyone else in the house. He'd washed his face of all make up, and he'd put his wig back in the box. He planned on going out with Tony tomorrow as a guy, and if the other man wanted to call it off, he could do so then, or maybe if he was too uncomfortable, Tyler would be the one to end their…whatever it was. He was surprisingly ok with the idea of dating again.

Maybe it was simply because he'd known Tony, and Tony was ok with everything. He was ok with Tyler having been married before. Tony was ok with him being a gay man, even if he wasn't technically gay or really even a man. Tyler wiped a happy tear from his eye as he picked up his phone.

"_You have reached the Boggs residence. Please leave your name and number, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can."_

"Hey, Mom, it's Tyler." He paused for a moment. "I just wanted to call and check in on you. I haven't heard from you in a long time, and well, I still care about you and I worry about you. I hope you're doing ok. Call me sometime, ok?" He waited. "Well, you're not picking up, so I'll go. I hope you're ok."

He hung up and leaned back into his pillows. Tyler rolled over and hugged his pillow, a small smile lighting his face. Several hours away, Jeff reached up and deleted the message his former son-in-law had left. He had no intention of calling the bastard. He'd find out soon enough. After all, the woman had put the house into Tyler's name in case something happened to them. Tyler'd find out enough when he passed. Right now, he just wanted to live out his last days in peace.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

Note: Headbanger Rockstar is still my amazing beta! Thanks and I love you! ;)

Note: My email has recently changed format, so if there's anyone I missed responding to with reviews, I apologize. It gets confusing, so I didn't miss you intentionally. So, if you reviewed, THANK YOU! And if I missed you, I'm sorry. *hugs*

########

Tyler looked down on Tony as he slept, and gently pulled the blanket up on the man's chest again. Gibbs stood in the door and shook his head. He'd known that having Tony spend the night was the right thing to do, but now he worried that had Tony driven, he'd have fallen asleep half way home. As it was, he'd gone online with his phone, downloaded some book, and had fallen asleep before Gibbs needed his second cup of coffee.

"So much for getting up early, huh?" Gibbs motioned to his sleeping agent as he spoke.

"Shh." Tyler kept his voice at a whisper. "You'll wake him up."

With a roll of his eyes, Gibbs headed to the kitchen. He had to admit, though, that it was nice to have someone taking care of Tony. Heaven knew the man wouldn't do it himself.

"Did he have a hard time falling asleep last night?"

"Nope." Gibbs matched Tyler's quiet voice. "He was asleep before I came up for my second cup of coffee. He's not even changed position."

"Poor guy." Tyler bit his thumbnail. "Maybe we shouldn't go out today? Do you think he's too tired? I mean, I know we had plans for the game, but he's so worried about getting everything else done. I don't want him getting sick again."

"Nah. Go out. If he's not up in an hour or so, then I'd choose between getting errands done or going to the game. What's more important to you?"

"Spending time with him." Tyler blushed. "I don't care what we do. I think, though, that if he's gonna keep with this silly plan of already being back to work, that he needs to get his stuff done. Maybe I'll suggest we do his errands together? Do you think he'd be ok with that?"

"Your boyfriend, not mine." Gibbs smirked. "You'll have to ask him." They were quiet for a moment. "Come on, have some toast. I know you'll have breakfast with him, but have something now."

"Ok." Tyler popped a slice of bread into the toaster and waited. He glanced to the living room when it popped, making a loud noise in the silence when it popped, but Tony did nothing more than move his head. Tyler sat at the table with the paper. He worked the puzzles, read the comics, and looked up at the clock. It was nearly ten. He bit his lip, unsure of what to do.

He rose and stood in the door, still debating when he saw Gibbs walk to the front door. The older man opened the door, and the sound made Tony stir.

"Gibbs! Shh!" Tyler whispered, making a face as he tried too late to get the man to keep it quiet.

Gibbs shrugged, but didn't close the door, lessening the noise factor. The older man walked to the end of his drive and retrieved his mail. He headed back to the house, intending to shut the door quietly, but didn't worry about it when he heard Tony's groggy voice.

"Oh, shit. I didn't mean to sleep so long."

"It's ok." Tyler stood over his man with a cup of coffee. "You feeling better?"

"Not sure yet." Tony sat up, blinking. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after 10."

"I'm sorry." Tony's face fell. "I meant to get up early and…"

"I know." Tyler sat down and felt relief when Tony pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But you needed to sleep. We can go together and get your errands done, if that's ok?"

"I guess. I know you wanted to go to the game, though."

"Eh, it was more to spend time with you." Tyler smiled brightly. "I really don't give a shit what we do."

"Are you sure?" Tony didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this wasn't at all how he expected their first date to go.

"I'm sure." Tyler nodded, taking Tony's hand in his. "You know, it's no secret that I've been married before. You've been engaged, all of that. We both know the important things. The really important things, I mean." Tony nodded, so Tyler continued. "Would I have enjoyed the game? Yes. But would I enjoy the game knowing that it would add to your stress later, making your week harder because you had to do your necessary stuff later? No. So let's forget the game, ok? I know it's not what you planned, but I think, well, I think this may be better, ok? Let's start off right, and starting off right means taking care of each other. You got to sleep, and now I'll get time and we can goof off in between…."

His words were cut off as Tony captured his lips. He pushed Tony away, giggling.

"Damn, boy. You have beer breath."

"Sorry." Tony clapped his hand over his mouth and raced up the stairs, intent on brushing. Tyler fell back against the couch, laughing happily.

"You know, I don't know what's more disturbing." Gibbs stood in the doorway, keeping his voice deadpan, despite the twinkle in his eyes. "You laughing over his morning breath, or him acting like brushing now will hide it."

Ten minutes later, Tony came down the stairs at a slower pace. He was in fresh clothes, and his hair was damp from a quick shower. He winked at Tyler as he headed to the kitchen and finished the cup of coffee he'd set aside on his way upstairs.

"So, you ready to go do menial tasks?"

"Sure." Tyler nodded. Tony looked him up and down appraisingly. "What?" Tyler looked down at himself.

"Are you wearing that because you're comfortable, or because you think I'll like it?"

"A little of both?"

"Are you comfortable? I like you, Tyler. I don't give a shit if you're going guy or girl. Be comfortable, ok?"

"Ok." Tyler stood, looking nervous. "Um, I'm gonna go change, cuz this is a little uncomfortable."

"I thought so." Tony smiled. "Goofball."

Tyler came down minutes later with an outfit closer to the one Tony had first seen him in at the movie store where they first met outside of the case.

"Now this is you."

"Yeah." Tyler demurred a bit. "I wasn't sure…"

"Seriously, Dude. I've never had an issue going somewhere with you being comfortable before, have I?"

"No, but we haven't been dating before."

"True, but if it has to change, is that a good relationship for either of us? No, I think not. Even with Wendy, I had to be…something. I'm over the games. You don't play them. I don't play them. I don't ever expect you to, ok? Real. I want real."

"And I want the Hallmark movie out of my living room. Get your asses in gear and do something before I'm ordering pizza for your dinner." Gibbs crossed his arms, looking far more irritated than he felt.

"Going!" Tyler grabbed Tony's hand and headed for the door. "Have a good day!"

"You too." Gibbs watched them go. Once Tony had backed out, Gibbs blew out a heavy sigh. "Heaven help us all. I swear those two are gonna kill me or keep me. Which one is anyone's guess." His phone rang, and he smiled when he saw who it was.

"Hey, Victoria!"

"Hello, Agent Hot Stuff! Did the boys get out ok?"

"They just left."

"Oh, good. So what are you up to today?"

"I'm gonna head in to the office for a bit."

"You still focused on that case, Jethro?"

"Gotta be."

"Tony's right." Her voice was quiet. "The whale killed Ahab in the end. Don't make the same mistake."

Gibbs growled as he hung up the phone. Ari wasn't a white whale, and he wasn't a ships' captain. He'd not lost focus, and he wouldn't. It was impossible with so many nags yakking at him.

#######

"So where to first?" Tyler looked over to Tony as they sped down the highway.

"Breakfast." Tony grinned. "I know this great little place. They've got the best eggs benedict, all sorts of omelets, and incredible sausage gravy."

"Sounds good."

"My favorite place to go if I've got the day off. Guess I should have asked."

"Are you kidding?" Tyler scoffed. "You have never led me wrong with food. Let the force of calories guide you, Foodie-wan-kenobi. I'm hungry."

"You learn well, young padawan." Tony beamed as he smiled at Tyler. He held his hand out, and Tyler laced his fingers with Tony's. The younger man looked out the window and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Tyler shook his head. "Just stuff that's right."

"I'm glad." Tony was quiet for a few minutes. "You know, I brag at the office about how much I sleep around, but I don't really. I tell Kate stories just to get her wound up, so when you meet them, don't listen to their crap. I mean, well, I'm not the player I let them think I am."

"I know that." Tyler squeezed his hand. "If you were, there'd be names in your phone. I know, I looked." When Tony cut his gaze over, Tyler shrugged. "Come on, Tony. You slept for nearly two weeks. I was bored, and I'm enough of a girl that I just had to look. Curiosity and the cat sort of thing."

"Just don't make a habit out of it, ok? Sometimes, I have sensitive stuff in places."

"Are you mad?"

"No. Just asking you to talk to me if you want to know. Some stuff, it's better if you don't see. Plausible deniability, that sort of thing."

"Right. Keep my ass covered."

"Except for me? Yes." Tony winked.

The rest of the ride passed with little conversation. One of the things Tony enjoyed about Tyler was that he didn't need to put on a mask of constant happiness and talkativeness, and Tyler enjoyed the fact that he could break the silence without feeling he was interrupting some deep thought. Out of that familiarity and acceptance of the other grew the quiet companionship both longed for.

"Here we go, Mr. Stevens-Boggs." Tony pulled into the small lot, and pointed to the French-style café before them. "I'm a fan of the patio. Is that ok with you?"

"Sounds good to me." Tyler bounced from the car, straightening his t-shirt. "It smells awesome."

"Tastes even better." Tony wrapped his arm around Tyler's shoulders, and they walked in.

"Good morning." The hostess smiled at them both. "Table for two?"

"Please, on the patio if it's open."

"It certainly is. Follow me, please."

Their table was round, and the two moved their chairs closer to one another. Their hostess rolled her eyes as she walked away. People were so strange when they first started dating, and she was willing to bet those two were in the first week. She gave them a month before they came in and sat at polar opposites and barely spoke.

"So what do you suggest?" Tyler opened up his menu and laid it out before them.

"I'm a fan of their eggs benedict, so I'm always suggesting those. However, their Swedish Omelet is really good, too."

"I guess I'll try that." Tyler closed the menu. "Of course, I won't be responsible for my fork if it just happens to take a nip at your plate."

"Like the benedicts, do you?"

"I do. It's just a toss-up of dittoing your order or getting something different."

"Well, if you like benedicts, get them. I'm serious when I say they have the best hollandaise and ham around. Their ham is nice and thick, and the hollandaise…"

"Ok, I'm sold. If you're enraptured with the sauce, my mind's made up."

"You won't be disappointed, Ty." Tony leaned back, and Tyler followed suit, resting against the taller man's side. "So besides breakfast, what are you hoping to get do today?"

"Your errands."

"Oh, come on. That's not much of a first date."

"Actually, I think it's a perfect one." Tyler sighed. "I hate having to be all nervous and getting dressed up to go out with someone. Today is my kind of day."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're low maintenance?"

"Me?" Tyler laughed. "Just wait until you get to know me."

"Oh, so this last year doesn't count?"

"Well, ok. So maybe you're on to me." Tyler blushed, and Tony leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Sorry to interrupt." Pam stood off to the side. "But Tony, we really need to get your order."

"Well, you weren't over here earlier." Tony snarked playfully back.

"Maybe if you didn't show up here all cute and stealing the other waitresses attention, I could have gotten over here sooner."

"What does that have to do with the price of beans in Brazil?"

"First I was mopping up the drool you two created, and now I'm sweeping up broken hearts." Pam winked. "Ok, so tell me, so I can go back to the kitchen and finish that mess, what'll it be?" Her eyes took on a feral gleam, and Tony braced himself. He really shouldn't have come here. She was as bad as Victoria. He hadn't thought of that. "Sausage links? Maybe rolled up in blankets? Followed by…"

"Uncle!" Tony put his hand over his heart, as if begging for relief. "Uncle! You win! You win!" He was laughing as he shook his head. "Teach me to bring a date here. Fine. If you're gonna be a nasty wench, go tell that husband of yours that we're both having the eggs benedict. And, Benedict Arnold, you can put the order in." He narrowed his eyes. "Traitor. I thought you were my friend."

"Sweetie, I am your friend. I dog you only because I know deep down you like it." Tyler burst out laughing as Pam walked away.

"Should I be worried that you have that effect on people?"

"What effect is that?" Tony's brow furrowed.

"The effect of making everyone have smart comments and giving you shit?"

"Nope. It's just giving me some back-handed love."

"Like I said, should I be worried?" Tyler grew serious for a moment.

"No." Tony matched his mood. "One thing I can promise out of all of the stuff I'm human and will likely screw up with? I'll never be unfaithful. I know Abby teases me about the steady stream of girls she thinks I have, and even Gibbs makes the occasional comment, but I don't play like that. I just keep up the appearance to keep everyone at arm's length."

"Why?"

"I've had partners betray me. I guess I don't want to get too close and get hurt again."

"I thought you were close to Gibbs?"

"I'm as close to Gibbs as I can be, Tyler. He's different. I know him," he put his hand over his heart. "In here, you know? And he's a good guy. He's hiding, just like me. I don't know what he's hiding, but just like he doesn't look for my secrets, I don't look for his. We respect one another enough for that."

"Oh." Tyler bit his lip, suddenly regretting his search through Tony's phone. Had he betrayed a confidence? Had he screwed up already? "Tony, I'm sorry I looked through your phone. I…"

"Tyler?" Tony's voice was gentle. "We're dating, Babe. If you want to know something? You ask. If you feel like you can't ask? Do it anyway. I'm serious when I say that I want to have an open, honest, and real relationship. I don't wanna hide. I don't wanna play games, ok?" His fingers traced down the younger man's face. "I'm not good at being open. I've had to hide, had to make up a life that I wasn't living. I want you to know the whole truth, ok? No secrets unless they're literally classified. Not for me, and not for you. Ok?"

"Ok." Tyler's voice shook. He brushed away a tear. "You know, I suck at this dating thing."

"So? Me, too. We can suck together." Tony winked, and they were back on equal footing, the conversation turning to innuendo and double entendres.

The seriousness had faded once their meals arrived, and Tony sat back with his arm around Tyler's shoulders as they ate. The younger man reached over several times to playfully snatch a bit of Tony's meal, and the older man would react every time, even though he knew it was coming. In their laughter, they completely missed a small car as it sat idling at the corner.

Kate had slowed for a red light. She glanced over at the restaurant, deciding if she wanted to stop or not, and froze. For there sat Tony with his arm around a man. _He's gay?_ Was the first thought that ran though her head. She then wondered if he was on some undercover mission, but knew that they were off rotation, and Gibbs never let any of them work blind. Her eyes widened as the man Tony was with took a bite from Tony's plate, and DiNozzo only laughed and pulled him closer. She watched in morbid fascination as they fairly cuddled at their table, stealing one another's meals and laughing.

A horn blew behind her, and she drove through the intersection. There was no way she saw what she saw. Tony teased Tim about being gay. Tony was gay? Kate felt her brain melt.

#####

"Tony, no one eats those."

"I do."

"But they suck."

"Tyler." Tony rolled his eyes. "You suck."

"True." Tyler held up his hand, his finger pointing upward. "But if you eat those, I'm not kissing you."

"Fine. Putting them back." Tony looked down at the anchovies he held forlornly before he put them back on the shelf. "Those are good in so many things."

"I worked in a pizza place all through high school and college, Tony. They're smelly, slimy, and the only people who ordered them were lonely Italian men who couldn't get any." Tyler quirked his eyebrow. "Do you really want to join that sad, sad, sad group?"

"Dammit." Tony swore softly. "Dating less than 24 hours and I'm whipped. My life is over."

"And you love every minute of it." Tyler pushed his boyfriend playfully.

"You're right. I do."

They journeyed through the rest of the store, ending at the meat counter. Tony and Tyler bantered back and forth regarding sausage, thick meat, and proper grinds. Tony stood with his arms around Tyler, holding him to his chest.

Kate rolled her eyes as she saw the pair. Out of every grocery store in the city, she had to dash into this one to pick up a loaf of bread on her way home. After a slight pause, she decided to go speak to them, only to stop in her tracks, turn red, and flip around, heading with all haste to the register. She really didn't want to hear that.

"_No, not that one. I like my sausage bigger." Tyler snickered. "How about the big one down there? That's got a nice curve."_

"_Oh, I don't know. Might be kind of hard to swallow. Think you could get it down?"_

Several minutes later, the two had chosen a few cuts of meat, a dozen sausages, and lunchmeat.

"Now that we've traumatized the meat clerks, what do we do?"

"Now it's time to go home."

"And do what?"

"Laundry, cleaning, putting stuff away, a bit of this, and a bit of that."

"Doesn't sound like fun."

"No, but if you want my sausage later…" Tony grinned as he held up the bag containing the meat.

"You win." Tyler laughed. He'd not had such a raunchy, yet innocent conversation in ages. It was good to have someone to play with again.

#######

"What do you want me to do?"

"Um, if you can start putting stuff in the fridge, I'll gather my laundry."

"Gather it? Tony, this place is immaculate. I doubt you have a sock out of place."

"Smart ass. I need to get the towels from the bathroom and change the sheets. It'll take me about as much time as getting those put away."

"Ok, so get to work. I wanna see that bed, by the way. What sort do you have?"

"A pillow top twin."

"What?" Tyler's eyes bugged out, then narrowed. "You do not have a twin."

"Yes, I do." Tony opened his bedroom door. "See? Twin bed."

"Damn." Tyler laughed. "I was hoping you were joking."

"Stop making fun of my bed and get the groceries put away." Tony glowered at his boyfriend. He waited until Tyler was in the kitchen before stripping the bed. "Damn. I like this bed, too."

Tony quickly remade his bed and bundled the dirty sheets into his hamper along with the towels from the bathroom. A quick trip to the kitchen showed that Tyler had made short work of putting the groceries away, and Tony replaced the towels hanging with fresh ones.

"You're anal, you know that?" Tyler rolled his eyes. "Those are still clean."

"They're dusty."

"Dusty?" Tyler looked at one. "There's not a bit of dust on them."

"Ok, so they've sat here for a month." Tony shrugged. "That makes them dirty."

"You're a screwball."

"Yeah, but that's why you love me." Tony winked as he turned toward his laundry room. Tyler saw the yawn Tony tried to hide, and decided it was time to head the man off in his work.

"When you get that started, let's take a break."

"Dude, we just got the grocery shopping done and the laundry started. I've got a ton of stuff to do yet."

"Like what?"

"Dusting, vacuuming, then I need to mop the floor. The bathroom needs cleaned, and then I think I'm done."

"Ok, so we can do that after a break."

"Tyler, if I stop, I'm gonna fall asleep."

"You need your sleep." Tyler raised his hand to stave off Tony's next argument. "Seriously. Just chill for a bit, and if you don't go to sleep, then we'll work on the rest of the house."

"I'm not much of a boyfriend, am I?" Tony's tone held defeat. "I'm sorry, Tyler. I was hoping to have a better day. I mean, I know you say you don't care, but I wanted today to be better."

"Why are you so focused on this, Tony? Why does it have to live up to some ideal? Why can't it just be what it is?"

"Because I think I want to be with you for a long time, if not forever, and this is no way to start."

A slow smile grew on Tyler's face. "It's a perfect way to start. After all, I've already seen you at your worst. You've seen me at mine. So what if you need to take a nap. It's not ruining anything. It just makes it real."

"I don't deserve you, you know that?"

"Sure ya do." Tyler grinned. "Just wait until I have the flu. I'm the biggest baby you've ever seen."

Tony started the washer and headed for his bed. He lay down and readjusted his covers. Then he rolled over and huffed. A few minutes later, he rolled back over and started to get up.

"Nice try, Buster." Tyler stopped him from rising as he kicked off his shoes. "Lay down."

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a nap. Same as you." Tyler laid his head on Tony's chest. "Roll over."

"What?"

"If I sit up, and you roll over, we can spoon. We'll fit better that way." Tyler gave Tony a quick peck on the lips. "Just sleeping. Come on, move it."

"Pushy bastard."

"Funny, earlier you were asking me to push a button or two."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tony rolled over on his side. "Happy now?"

"Immensely." Tyler snuggled down, pressing his back to Tony's chest, letting one of his feet nestle between Tony's calves. "Happy and comfortable."

"This isn't exactly relaxing." Tony shifted a bit.

"Shh. It's ok. Just sleep." Tyler smiled to himself as Tony huffed in his ear. It wasn't long, however, before Tony was sleeping soundly. His arm was draped over Tyler's waist, and the relaxed limb provided comfort as Tyler drifted off himself.

The shadows were longer, and Tyler yawned gently. He wanted to move, but knew that if he did, Tony would wake. A glance at the bedside clock told him they'd been asleep for almost two hours. He hoped Tony would sleep a little longer. The guy was pale, his movements were slow, and Tyler was afraid he'd set himself back if he didn't slow down. He tried to not laugh as Tony's lower regions poked his ass, making him very aware of Tony's size.

He had a harder time keeping his laughter in as Tony snuggled closer, almost rolling Tyler off the bed as Tony shifted, rolling so he was more on his stomach. This movement pushed Tyler down, trapping him half under the larger man. Tony's hips shifted, and Tyler bit his lip to keep from letting out a very unmanly giggle.

A few more uncoordinated, sleepy movements had Tyler suddenly clinging to Tony and squeaking as he tried to not fall from the bed.

"Wha..?" Tony's groggy voice held his confusion.

"You were dreaming."

"Oh, shit." Tony backed up, his face turning red as he realized he'd been acting out his dream.

"So, do I need to be jealous of the lucky bastard you were dreaming about?" Tyler ran his hand down Tony's chest.

"Only if you're in the habit of being jealous of yourself." Tony's expression was a mix of mortification and humor. "I'm really sorry, Tyler. I was having this awesome dream." His face turned a deeper shade of red. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know." Tyler laughed. "I should have woken you up, but I really thought you'd wake yourself up. I mean, I can't sleep through dreams like that, well, I guess maybe I can, but I always seem to wake up."

"I'm so sorry." Tony pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I want to take us slow."

"I know. I should have woken you up." Tyler cupped Tony's face. "But honestly? I was sort of enjoying it, too."

"Sort of?" Tony's expression changed, as he suddenly realized he basically assaulted his new love while sleeping. "Oh, shit."

"Hey!" Tyler tapped Tony's cheek. "Let me rephrase. I was really, really enjoying it. I didn't want you to wake up and be all embarrassed. I wanted you to sleep, and I wanted you to keep going, and I, oh, hell, I don't know what I wanted. But if I had woken you up before, you'd have stopped, just like now. So chill, ok?"

"You sure?"

"Yes." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Now that we've had would could have been our first fight, give me a quick kiss before I go switch out laundry."

"Way to ruin the mood, Mr. Stevens-Boggs."

"It's my specialty, Mr. DiNozzo."

"I think you should just go do the laundry." Tony backed up a bit.

"What's wrong?"

"Seriously, Dude? I was dry humping you, I've still got a raging hard, and I'm doing my best to not be the guy I pretend to be. We'll get, you know, there, sometime, but not yet. So, um, if you wouldn't mind…"

"And if I mind?" Tyler's voice dropped to a low husky volume, and Tony swallowed hard. "What if I want you to be that guy you pretend to be?"

"Don't…" Tony swallowed hard. "Tyler, please, don't ask me…"

Tyler's lips covered Tony's quickly. "I wouldn't really do that to you. I'm going." With that, Tyler jumped from the bed and scooted out of the room, leaving Tony suddenly chilled from the lack of body heat. He swore softly as he made his way to the bathroom. Tony couldn't believe his crazy body and brain. He'd not had a wet dream in ages, and of course, he picked today of all days…

Moments later, Tony was gritting his teeth to keep quiet in a luke-warm shower as Tyler threw one load of laundry from the washer into the drier and started a second. He put a roast in the crock and began wiping down the cupboards. The bedroom door started to close, and he smirked at the view Tony presented as he stood in a towel.

"Um, I'll be out in a minute. Just, you know, need to change clothes."

"Sure, Tony." Tyler nodded. "I'll be here."

The door closed, and Tyler grinned. Tony was adorable when he was flustered. Even if he'd doubted Tony's claims to not be a playboy before, he knew Tony was being honest now. No playboy would be this discombobulated over a simple biological reaction. Tyler felt a slight blush creep up his neck as he realized that Tony's reaction was both endearing and sexy as hell.

When Tony finally joined him in the kitchen, Tyler had potatoes cut and tossed into the crock, and had carrots on the cutting board.

"Smells good."

"Thanks." Tyler smiled. "It's just started, so I know you're full of crap." He winked. "This is for your lunches next week. Now what about dinner?"

"Dunno." Tony struggled to get his footing back. Tyler was obviously fine, but Tony was worried that the younger man was hiding some disappointment or fear. He knew he'd be feeling betrayed, hurt, angry, whatever, if he'd woken up and someone was doing that to him. Tony ran his hand through his hair. "Do you still want to go out? I mean, are you sure we're ok?"

"Yes." Tyler sounded as frustrated as he felt. After watching Tony for a moment, he crossed the kitchen and gave the older man a gentle hug. "I'm not mad, I'm not hurt, and I'm not feeling like you did anything wrong."

"I was…"

"Asleep, Tony." Tyler quirked his eyebrow. "Do you really think I've never had a wet dream? Do you really think I never did anything like that? Shit." He drew the last word out comically. "I'm a man." With a roll of his eyes, Tyler turned back to cutting up the carrots. "So, I was thinking Ethiopian for dinner. What do you think?"

"Never had it." Tony shrugged, still trying to get over his nervousness.

"Then Ethiopian it is. There's this place, Meshkerem, and it's my favorite. Are you up for it?"

"Sure." Tony grinned. "I'll try anything once."

"Ooh. I'll have to remember you said that."

########

Tony's eyes widened as they were led to a low table and shown to short stools with comfy cushions on them. He glanced around, and was surprised at the comfort most of the diners had with the arrangements. Another moment of sly observation showed that most diners were sharing plates, and over half were feeding one another.

"What sort of place is this?"

"I told you, Tony. This is an Ethiopian restaurant." Tyler sat, patting the stool next to him. "Let me explain the customs."

"That'd be good. I'm a little weirded out."

"Ethiopian restaurants want people to sit and share their meals. This isn't about rushing through and getting out the door to make room for more customers. This is all about sharing meals, conversation, and peace. Our meals will probably come on the same plate, and we'll share. There's no silverware, as you can see, but we'll be given pieces of flat bread. We can break it off and eat with the bread, or eat with your fingers. These little bowls are indeed finger bowls. Rinse your hands as you need, and keep your napkin in your lap, just like you usually would."

"What if I want a fork?"

"You can ask for one, but I really think you should try eating traditionally."

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Tell you what, let me order, and then if you don't like this, we'll go somewhere else, ok? But really, I want to get to know you, and I'm craving their zilbo."

"What's that?"

"Lamb." Tyler rolled his eyes at the face Tony made. "Whatever happened to Mr. I'll try anything once?"

"He left when you mentioned eating lamb with our fingers."

Their server came and went, and Tony listened with rapt attention as Tyler ordered zilbo, alitcha watt, sambusa for an appetizer, and two tomato salads. He was wondering why they needed so much food, but figured that Tyler knew what he was doing. At least the tomato salads sounded safe.

Their appetizers arrived, and Tyler set about rinsing his fingers off in his bowl. Tony followed suit, relieved when Tyler picked up his sambusa and ate it himself. The salad mercifully had a fork, and Tony was pleased with the mix of flavors the two items presented. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so strange after all.

"Now, before our meals get here." Tyler rinsed his hands once more. "It's customary to start by feeding one another, but we don't have to eat the whole meal like that. It just helps us to focus on one another. You know, sort of mentally build a wall where it's just the two of us. Or, we can eat like this. You know, I eat mine, and you eat yours, and we just share a plate. What would you like to try?"

"Maybe a bit of both?"

"I'd like that." Tyler leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Tony's cheek. "Thanks for being willing to try it." Tony simply smiled.

Once their meals came, Tyler set about ripping off a bit of bread. Tony followed suit, and to his surprise, Tyler picked up a bit of meat with the bread and held it to Tony's lips. Tony met Tyler's gaze, allowing his boyfriend to place the bite gently into his mouth.

"See, this isn't so hard, is it?"

"No. I think I liked the sambusa." Tony flushed a bit. "I can spill on myself and not get your clothes dirty."

"Don't worry about spilling. Remember, this is about sharing friendship, love and peace. Now." Tyler scooped up another small bite of meat. "Tell me about your family. We already know about my lovely mess." The second bite was held up to Tony's mouth, and he took it. His own hand rose to Tyler's mouth, offering him the bite he'd scooped up.

"My mother passed away when I was eight." Tony cleared his throat as Tyler closed his lips around his fingers, letting his tongue trace the sensitive pads. "Um, she was always drinking, and then she was gone."

"I'm so sorry." Tyler ripped off another piece of bread. "How did she die?"

"Suicide." Tony looked down for a moment. "I thought for a long time that it was my fault. I hated those sailor suits she always dressed me in, and I'd yelled at her earlier that morning."

The pair fell into an easy pattern of eating and talking. They sometimes fed one another, and sometimes didn't. Tony told Tyler about his rocky relationship with his father, and how he was expecting a visit soon.

"I was wondering why no one came when you were sick." Tyler voice was low.

"Yeah, I wasn't on the old man's docket. You know, he has his yearly visits, probably timed with his latest divorce." Tony sighed. "I've never been able to please him."

"Will I make it harder for you?" Tyler suddenly felt vulnerable in a way he'd not since high school.

"Nope." Tony gave him an easy smile. "I really don't have that many friends, Tyler. I sort of hold everyone back. It's how I was accepted." He looked slightly abashed as he spoke. "I was a jock, I was a player, I was whatever would make me fit in, you know? So most of the people I know feel close, and I guess to them, I am, but I feel sort of left out. They don't really know me. Not me, anyway. They know whatever I've let them see."

"It sounds lonely." Tyler took Tony's hand, and conversation ceased as Tony studied their entwined fingers.

"It is." He finally admitted. "I guess that's why I want to really know you, Tyler. I want to know you, and I want you to know me. I hide. I hide a lot, and when I do, I need for you to drag me out." Tears stood on Tony's eyes. "Can you do that? I mean, don't expect me to tell everyone about you, not that I don't want to, but I work for the government, and there's DADT, but I want to be as open about us as I can, and I want for you to know exactly where you are in my life, ok? I'll do my best, but sometimes, I'll need you to push me, or drag me, or maybe even yell at me to get me to open up. Will you do that? Will you be the person who won't let me hide?"

"Yes." Tyler slipped his arm through Tony's and leaned over, allowing Tony to lean on him as well. "I'll do my best." Tony rested his head on Tyler's, and took a deep breath.

"Wow. Openness hurts."

"It can." Tyler patted Tony's hand. "But you'll like it, I promise. I know all about hiding, and it sucks."

"Agreed." Tony looked down at his plate. "So, should we finish this, or get it to go?"

"I'm still hungry." Tyler sat up a bit and ripped off another small bite of bread. "Here." He held a bit of lamb to Tony's lips. "You need to eat more, too. You're still recovering."

"So are you." Tony smirked as he mirrored Tyler's actions. "I think I love you."

"I think you feel safe with me, Tony." Tyler met his gaze. "And that's one of the many steps of love."

"A step, huh?"

"Yeah." Tyler smiled. "My grandma, my mom's mom, was pretty smart. She could be a hothead, and more than once, I went running off to avoid a butt-whooping, but she was smart as a whip."

"And what did she say about love?"

"When I first started dating, well, you know, it was more of experimenting. I kissed a few girls, and I was having trouble deciding what I was, you know? One day I was in the girls bathroom cuz I was on my period, and the next I was in the guys' cuz I wanted to take a piss like everyone else. And, like everyone else my age, I wanted to figure out my sexuality. I mean, most kids know if they're guys or girls, right? Even if they're gay, lesbian, or trans, they have some idea."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"I didn't have a clue. I was trying so hard to be the perfect son my dad wanted, and well, I was failing fast. I wasn't in to sports, and I wasn't in to girls. Seriously. I tried. I kissed this one girl? Ew. It was nasty." He shuddered playfully. "Anyway. My grandma saw me struggling, and she had me spend the night at her house, which was unusual. She made no bones about letting everyone know she hated my dad, and he hated her. I wasn't allowed over there most of the time."

"So what happened?"

"She sat me down and had what could be the most embarrassing conversation I've ever had."

"Oh, come on. I've talked with Victoria. More embarrassing than some of hers?"

"Oh, yeah." Tyler nodded as he took another bite. "It was bad. Thought I'd die." He swallowed. "So anyway, she told me that I'd find someone that I could have a relationship with. It could be anyone. But she wanted to make sure that I knew how to keep someone, and how to know if it was time to move on and let them go."

"Ok, I'm listening." Tony smiled. "Your grandma sounds interesting."

"She was a nut." Tyler laughed. "At first, it's like we are right now. We're sort of high off of one another. I mean, you could tell me you robbed a bank, and I'd probably laugh and say 'whatever' and not believe it. This is what she'd call the 'lovebird' stage. We can do no wrong." He leaned in and kissed Tony gently, nipping his lip in the process. "And it feels amazing."

"Yes, it does." Tony returned the kiss. "So what happens next in your grandma's love list?"

"Real life comes in." Tyler sat back a bit, playing with his napkin. "We start to see each other for who we really are. I mean, you'll see me tired and cranky as hormones start swinging, and I'll see you leaving a mess of clothes behind you in the bathroom. We'll get cranky with each other over the stuff we used to find sweet or nice. Like today. You got so upset about what happened in your sleep, and today, I found it adorable and sexy. Maybe in two months, I'll find you getting that upset irritating, or wishing I could push you further. That sort of thing."

"The rosy glasses come off."

"Exactly."

"So what do we do in that stage?"

"We keep in mind that we need to work on our relationship. It's easy now, Tony. It may not be in a month. What if you get mad at me for pushing you out from behind your mask? What if I get mad that you hide from me or miss a date, or I'm late on a paper for school, and am a bastard about it? We'll have to work on it. We need to decide to do that."

"I don't know how to do that, but I'll work with you to get there, ok?"

"I know." Tyler was serious. "I know you want us to work, and I want us to work, so if we keep to it, we can make it."

"Right." Tony leaned in and whispered in Tyler's ear. "I can't promise I won't screw up, but I'll do my best." His hand tightened in Tyler's shirt.

"So do I." Tyler cleared his throat. "The next part is where we start finding ways we're different. Well, beyond the obvious." A cheeky grin added humor to his otherwise serious words. "We're going to start spending time apart, doing what we like to do, and we won't want to be around each other all the time. That's not bad, as it'll give us a chance to miss one another, but if we're not careful, it can make us grow apart. We have to keep in mind that as we make new friends, if we have an entwined life, we have to include each other in things. We can't have totally separate sets of friends. Sure, I'll have mine, and you'll have yours. But we're going to need to have the understanding of at least meeting the people we're each with. That way, there's no secrets, and there's no distrust."

"That's a good way to keep open and not hide."

"It's hard, though. There were times when I wanted time alone, and Charlie wanted time, and we felt like we were boxed in, because we didn't let ourselves really have separate likes and dislikes. We screwed up there. Would we have made it for twenty or thirty years? I hope so. I hope we'd have made it until we were old, but we didn't allow for separate likes. We need to do that, Tony."

"Wendy and I didn't do that, either." Tony shook his head slowly. "We were convinced that if we loved each other, we'd want to spend every minute together, and at first, it was awesome. I mean, we did everything together. But that was a problem too. She thought I lied to her when I said I didn't have any money. She found out about my dad and assumed I'd hidden something from her. There was no trust."

"I want trust, Tony."

"We'll build it." A smile lit Tony's eyes. "I want a good solid, better than I've ever dreamed of relationship, but I want it to be real, you know? Not some movie reality, but a last through the years real. Geeze, I sound sappy."

"No, you sound like I feel." Tyler grinned. "I want all of that, too. I'd not have said 'movie reality', but hey, I got your point."

"Smart ass."

"You know it." Tyler held a bite up to Tony's mouth, and opened his own lips to receive the bite Tony held up for him.

"So what next? Did your grandma have anything else to say?"

"Lots, but not everything will be repeated in public, cuz well, I guess she had a thing for whipped cream." Tyler laughed as he pounded Tony's back to get the food dislodged from his boyfriend's throat. "I'm sorry. She really did fill me in on the wonders of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, but I should have kept that to myself."

"No kidding." Tony's face was red as he took a sip of tea to ease his throat. "Ok, so what non-sexual, yet relationship things did she share with you?"

"We're gonna fight at some point and try to be in charge. We're gonna think about leaving. We're human. It's gonna happen. You'll do something, and I'll be convinced you no longer care. I'll do something, and you'll be sure that I'm done with our relationship. We have to talk it out. We have to not give up then, either."

"I won't give up. I'll talk to you." Tony nodded. "What else?"

"After all of that mess, we'll get to be friends again. We may never stop being friends, but we'll have a deeper, stronger friendship. Grandma told me to never fall in love with someone I wasn't friends with, because friendship was the basis of love. I didn't understand that when I was a kid, but I think I get it now. I mean, Charlie and I were best friends, and we fought all of this out, and still came out in love. We were too young and stupid to really understand everything, and well, I want to be your best friend, Tony, and I want you to be mine. Even when we're arguing, I want to never lose our friendship, cuz that will carry us through. Ok?"

"I can do that." Tony smiled. "It may not be easy, but I can do that."

"I can, too." Tyler squeezed Tony's hand. "The last stage is where we really want to go."

"Yeah?" Tony's eyes lit up.

"Yep. That's the part where we know one another inside and out, and we've seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and we want to be together anyway. If we stick it out, that's our fairy tale ending."

"I'm not sure I want to have a fairy tale ending." Tony drew out the words slowly, stroking his chin.

"Oh, come on." Tyler bumped his shoulder. "I'm a fairy! What else did you expect?"

"Nothing more than what I can hope for." Tony signaled their server. "Can we get boxes, please? Oh, and our check."

Within minutes, they had left the restaurant and were headed back to Tony's apartment.

"I can't believe dinner took two hours." Tony laughed. "I've never spent that long on a single meal before."

"Because you've never focused on your partner before like you did today." Tony stopped walking.

"You're right." He pulled Tyler in for a bruising kiss. "We'll have to go there again sometime."

"I'd like that." He poked Tony in the chest. "I don't know about you, but I've had enough emotional exposure to do me for a week."

"I didn't want to bring it up, but I'm with you. So what now?" Tony put their leftovers into his refrigerator. "Got any other plans?"

"What about a movie?"

"Fine by me." Tony opened up his movie collection. "So which one?"

"The greatest comedy ever made, simply because it wasn't meant to be a comedy."

"There's lots of those." Tony rolled his eyes. "Which one in particular?"

"Fast and Furious."

"Excellent choice!" Tony smiled and turned on his entertainment system. "I hope you don't mind ad lib-ing parts of it."

"Of course not!" Tyler grinned as he sat down with two beers. "That's the best part of the movie. And you know, it gets funnier if you do different accents."

Another explosion rocked the screen, and Tony pointed out the inaccuracies of the blast while Tyler gave a news flash of the action in a horrible French accent, responding to his own questions in an even worse Irish brogue before finally dissolving into laughter.

As Tyler gasped for breath and Tony nearly passed out from lack of oxygen, the agent's phone rang.

"Hey, Boss!" Tony gasped, trying to get his words out calmly.

"You two ok?"

"Oh, yeah, we're fine." Tyler snorted, and Tony pushed his shoulder. "We're watching a movie, and we're thinking that we could have made a way better script than the writers."

"Just breathe, ok?"

"Sure." Tony giggled, and then laughed at his attempt at stopping his laughter. "What's up?"

"Just reminding you that it's a school night."

"Sure, Boss." Tony laughed as he looked at Tyler. "Hey, Gibbs is calling to remind us that it's a school night." Tyler pulled a face.

"Ok, Dad!" He laughed. "I know, I'm gonna get hit for that one later, but it's funny. Holy crap! There's no way that that could happen! So fake! Not even special effects can do that! Talk about shitty computer animation!"

"What are you two doing?"

"Watching a movie." Tony snorted. "I'll have him home in an hour, and I promise I'll come home and go to bed."

"Are you two drunk? Does he need picked up?"

"No." Tony giggled again. "We just… Oh, my gods." Tony laughed. "There's no way. Seriously, Gibbs, this gets funnier every time I see it."

"Have him home and your ass in bed by eleven." With that, Gibbs hung up and shook his head. This was worse than having teenagers in the house.

Nearly an hour later, he heard Tony's car pull into the drive, and he waited for the front door to open. He'd not waited up for anyone before, and felt a little out of place doing it now, but he worried for both of the young men. Tony was still sick, and Tyler was still fragile from his bout of anorexia, and Gibbs didn't want either of them to suffer for the sake of fun.

"Night." Tony looked over at Tyler. "Want me to walk you up?"

"No, it's ok." Tyler put his hand on the door, and then turned to Tony. He leaned over a bit, and Tony met him half way.

Their lips met first in a gentle caress, but soon Tyler moved a bit, letting his hand drift over to Tony's chest. Tony nibbled at his boyfriend's lower lip, and Tyler happily opened his mouth, letting Tony's questing tongue inside. Both men shifted, bringing their bodies closer together.

Tyler's hand slid down Tony's chest, and stopped at his belt. The older man unconsciously slid down in his seat a bit, opening his legs for a hand he hoped would explore a bit. He groaned in pleasure as Tyler's hand slipped down, cupping and massaging.

Tony's hands worked, one nestled firmly in Tyler's hair, holding the man close, while his other hand skated down Tyler's chest, tracing the bound and confined breasts, before diving down to explore the other man's apex.

Their breath mingled as they kissed and touched. Tony shifted uncomfortably, and pulled away a bit. He waited a second before diving back in for another kiss. Tyler stroked his member once more, and Tony moaned.

"Baby, we gotta stop." Tony's voice was strained. "We gotta…"

"I don't want to." Tyler's voice was just as strained. "But yeah." He backed up. "Damn." He ran his hands down his face as he rested his head on the headrest behind him. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you, too." Tony drew in a shuddery breath. "You should probably go inside."

"Yeah, I should." Tyler leaned over and kissed Tony once more. "Drive safe."

"I will." Tony smiled and toyed with Tyler's fingers, not quite ready to let the other man go. "Have a good day tomorrow, ok?"

"You, too." Tyler looked down at their hands. "I should go."

"Ok." Tony let go of his hand. "I'll call you when I get home."

"I'd like that. Let me know you got in ok." Another quick kiss, and Tyler dashed into the house.

Tony sat out in the drive for a minute, blowing out calming breaths. He shifted once more, and thought of a nice, icy shower that would be waiting for him at home. With a grin, he put his car in gear and drove away. His body thrummed with endorphins as he raced down the empty streets.

Tyler hung up his jacket, unaware that he was being watched.

"Have a good time?" Gibbs' tone was mild, slightly teasing. He took in the younger man's appearance. "You two sure spent a long time in the drive." He quirked an eyebrow, and Tyler blushed a furious shade of red as he dashed past his friend and up into his room.

Gibbs allowed his laughter to burst out as he heard Tyler's door slam and the low moan that accompanied what he could only assume was the young man trying to hide from the world. Gibbs trotted downstairs and picked up his phone.

"Hey, Victoria…"


End file.
